Reported financial fraud complaints in Rwanda fell by about 30% in the second quarter of 2026 compared with the same period last year, even as digital financial transactions continued to surge, Prime Minister Justin Nsengiyumva said.
Nsengiyumva said reported complaints declined from 4,128 in Q2 2025, attributing the drop to regulations and mechanisms introduced to prevent fraud, resolve complaints and recover misappropriated funds.
“Despite the progress, fraud involving phones and scams targeting confidential information remain challenges,” Nsengiyumva said, highlighting emerging risks linked to the country’s rapid shift toward digital financial services.
Rwanda’s digital-payment ecosystem has expanded sharply in recent years.
The number of digital transactions rose from about 256 million in 2017 to 3.1 billion in 2025, representing more than a twelve-fold increase.
Over the same period, the value of digital transactions jumped from Rwf2.9 trillion to Rwf85.5 trillion, underscoring the growing role of electronic payments in the economy.
The expansion has also been reflected in consumer adoption. In 2025, 73.7% of adults made payments through digital channels, while regular mobile-money users increased from 433 per 1,000 adults in 2017 to 715 per 1,000 in 2025.
The figures point to a rapidly digitising financial sector, but the Prime Minister warned that increased use of mobile and digital platforms also creates new opportunities for fraudsters, particularly through phone-based scams and attempts to obtain sensitive information.
The government is therefore relying on stronger regulations, fraud-prevention mechanisms and recovery measures to protect users as digital financial services continue to expand.
