Nigeria has the highest spam rate in Africa with 51% – Truecaller report

Nigeria has been identified as the most spammed country in Africa according to Truecaller. In 2025, 51% of all unknown calls received by Nigerians were classified as spam or fraud. This means that more than one out of every two unknown calls is not trustworthy.

The findings come from Truecaller’s 2025 Spam and Fraud Report. Nigeria ranks eighth globally on the list, sitting ahead of South Africa, where 30% of unknown calls are spam, Kenya at around 15%, Ghana at around 11%, and Ethiopia at around 9%.

Nigeria’s situation is different from other countries that receive a lot of spam calls. In Indonesia and Mexico, most spam comes from scammers pretending to be financial services, making up over 40% of the problem.

In Chile, the main issue is automated debt collection. However, in Nigeria, the biggest source of spam calls is telecom companies and related outreach, which make up 35% of all spam, this is the highest percentage of any African country in the study. Sales and telemarketing contribute 10%, while outright scams represent 6%.

Also read: More than half of Nigerians use either a Samsung or iPhone as of March 2026

Nigerian users face a confusing problem with unknown calls. Many of these calls come from automated systems or unverified agents, making it hard to tell if a call is a necessary network message, a sales pitch, or a scam.

When someone in Nigeria receives an unknown call, they often can’t tell if it’s their network notifying them about a data plan renewal or a fraudster pretending to be from the network.

Truecaller explains that excessive spam is now affecting global communication

Truecaller says that the harm from too much spam goes beyond just losing money. When most unknown calls are spam, people stop answering their phones. This breakdown of trust affects daily life. Missed calls from doctors, schools, delivery drivers, and real businesses can lead to missed appointments, delayed information, and lost customer relationships.

“Fraud, impersonation, and scams are affecting people’s daily lives in a way we have never seen before,” said Rishit Jhunjhunwala, CEO of Truecaller. “In some countries, most unknown calls are now spam, that is a fundamental breakdown in how communication works.”

Nigeria’s situation is part of a larger global trend. As of 2025, Indonesia is the most spammed country, with 79% of unknown calls marked as spam. Chile is next at 70%, a significant increase from 51% just six months prior. The global top five also includes Vietnam, Brazil, and India.

Truecaller reached 500 million monthly active users on March 31, 2026, with over 150 million users located outside India. The platform detected 68 billion spam and fraud calls worldwide in 2025.