Fraud on the rise in Ghana, according to Sumsub’s report
Ghana’s iGaming industry faces mounting fraud challenges, even as Africa reduces sector-wide fraud. Recent findings by Sumsub, a global verification platform, reveal that Ghana recorded one of the sharpest fraud increases since last year. The report emphasises an urgent need for advanced verification and stronger compliance measures to counter rapidly evolving fraud tactics.
Data exposes worrying trends
Identity fraud across all Ghanaian industries reached 3.94% in Q2 2025, nearly double Africa’s continental average of 2.27%. The iGaming sector was hardest hit. Fraud more than doubled within a year, rising from 2.33% to 5.76%. This spike diverges from Africa’s iGaming sector, which achieved a 14.7% fraud reduction during the last two years.
“Ghana’s numbers show a different trajectory from the continent,” says Hannes Bezuidenhout, VP of Sales for Africa at Sumsub. “While Africa has demonstrated that investment in robust verification reduces fraud without slowing down growth, Ghana’s experience highlights what happens when fraudsters move faster than compliance systems. This is a wake-up call for operators to close the gap with AI-driven solutions and continuous monitoring.”
Global fraud acceleration
Fraud remains a worldwide concern. Sumsub’s 2025 report shows identity fraud in iGaming nearly doubled, climbing from 0.70% in 2023 to 1.39% in 2025. More than 82% of surveyed iGaming operators confirmed a rise in fraud attempts across their platforms. Latin America saw the steepest increase, with fraud jumping almost 32%, while Europe and North America also reported consistent growth.
Africa’s mixed progress
Africa led in global trends with fraud declining as operators strengthened verification processes and invested in compliance technology. Despite the decline, Africa’s fraud rate stood at 2.55% in 2025, among the highest globally. The Asia-Pacific region was worse, with fraud exceeding 3% of all verification attempts. Africa’s verification pass rate, now at 68.98%, still trails global averages of 80–90%.
“Verification remains both Africa’s strength and its challenge,” says Richy Emah, Regional Business Development Director, North and West Africa, Sumsub. “While progress is clear, the gap in pass rates compared to mature markets shows that players still face friction, and operators risk losing revenue. Ghana’s fraud dynamics demonstrate how urgent it is to build seamless, secure, and locally adapted verification processes.”
New emerging fraud tactics
The iGaming 2025 Report reveals how fraud tactics are evolving and striking at weaker points across the player lifecycle. Fraud attempts often spike between 4 a.m. and 8 a.m., hours when compliance coverage is usually thinner. More attacks occur beyond registration, with 41.9% of operators identifying deposit stages as the most vulnerable point. Globally, AI-powered fraud surged by 700% between 2024 and 2025, with deepfakes becoming a major threat to operators.
Building smarter defences
To counter risks, the report urges operators to implement continuous verification throughout the player journey. This includes not only sign-up but also deposits and withdrawals, where vulnerabilities are highest. Innovations like non-document verification and reusable KYC are streamlining processes. Onboarding now averages only 25 seconds globally, balancing faster access with stronger fraud prevention.
Growing regulatory pressure
African governments are tightening oversight to tackle fraud in iGaming and related financial transactions. South Africa’s Travel Rule now requires stricter data collection for cryptocurrency transactions. Nigeria’s NLRC has intensified its oversight of unlicensed platforms threatening market integrity. Kenya has also integrated betting operators with its national ID databases to reduce fraudulent access.
In Ghana, the sharp rise in fraud increases pressure on regulators and operators. As betting expands, stronger frameworks will be essential to safeguard revenues, players, and the industry’s reputation.
What lies ahead for Ghana
Findings from Sumsub and the 2025 iGaming Report suggest Ghana must strengthen technology-driven compliance to keep pace with fraud threats.
“Operators in Ghana have a choice,” cautions Richy Emah. “They can continue to absorb rising fraud losses, or they can invest now in the kind of AI-powered fraud prevention systems that will not only protect their platforms but also unlock smoother experiences for genuine players. The future of iGaming in Ghana depends on it.”
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