Alarm bells for anyone with banking apps on their phones in South Africa

• Claims rose to R2.41 billion in 2025, representing a 29.2% increase from R1.86 billion in 2024.
• The number of reported digital crime incidents increased from 52,588 in 2023 to 110,074 in 2025, with banking apps being the biggest channel involved.
• SABRIC warned that artificial intelligence could make impersonation scams more convincing, with isolated cases involving cloned voices also being reported.