Angola a Top Target for Global Cyber Crook
By Pedro Agosto
Luanda — ANGOLA has emerged the most vulnerable country as professional cyber criminals from around the world target Africa's burgeoning population of mobile phone users.
This is according to the "State of Mobile Fraud in Africa" report by Paris-headquartered Evina, which reveals that 19 percent of mobile payment transactions in Africa in the first half of 2021 were made without the user's consent.
Evina said with Africa's 1 billion mobile phone users at risk, vulnerable countries such as Angola and Egypt where 34 percent and 25,5 percent of mobile transactions were identified as suspect, respectively.
Angola, one of the continent's leading oil producers, is rated among the most attractive investment destinations in sub-Saharan Africa.
David Lotfi, Evina Chief Executive Officer, explained that direct carrier billing (DCB), where users are billed for purchases directly on their phone bills, was primarily impacted by two forms of mobile fraud in Africa.
These are malicious apps, that secretly contain malware and are programmed to make payments on behalf of the user without their knowledge, and clickjacking, where a fraudster intercepts a legitimate click and unknowingly directs the user to a website where sensitive financial and other details can be stolen.
Malicious apps made up 17,6 percent of all fraudulent attempts across Africa in the first six months of the year while long-standing clickjacking accounted for 62,3 percent of all attempts.
Remote-controlled fraud is listed in the latest Evina report as being responsible for 7,6 percent of all fraudulent mobile activities targeting African cellular users.
Three other types of fraud identified in the report accounted for almost 10 percent of mobile fraud.
The top three malicious apps in Africa in the first half of this year - according to the report - are funny SMS, Asters Wallpapers and Magic Photo Editor.
Each downloaded over more than 10 000 times.
"When it comes to fighting fraud, it is crucial to put in place a strategy backed by insightful data," Lofti advised.
"That's why we are committed to providing the best quality, most valuable and up-to-date information to fight fraud and grow your mobile-centric business in Africa," he said.
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