More Than 40% of South Africans Were Scammed in 2025

**Executive summary:** The GASA-based report finds exceptionally high scam exposure in Africa—especially South Africa—where 77% of surveyed adults were targeted and 42% lost money, with an average loss of about $130 per victim and an extrapolated annual impact of roughly $2.3 billion; the piece emphasizes high frequency of low-value, scalable scams, low reporting and recovery rates, and recommends enforcement focus on coordinated cross-border disruptions and financial choke points rather than isolated raids.