Mobile Money Fraud Leads Cybercrime Cases in First Half of 2026
Mobile money fraud accounted for half of all reported cybercrime cases in early 2026, prompting calls for enhanced monitoring and public vigilance.
By John Mtongoi Newsroom
August 24, 2026
2 min read
The Interior Ministry has revealed that mobile money fraud was the most reported form of online crime in the first half of 2026.
Between February and July, 51 out of 102 computer fraud cases involved mobile money as the payment method, according to data presented at the 36th National Computer and Cybercrimes Coordination Committee (NC4) meeting chaired by Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo.
Breakdown of Cybercrime Cases
- Mobile money fraud: 51 cases (50%)
- Investment and forex schemes: 16 cases (15.7%)
- Cryptocurrency-related fraud: 12 cases (11.8%)
- Telecommunications or SIM-related fraud indicators: 23 cases
The Ministry noted that reported cases surged in May, with 70 cases recorded by the end of July.
Measures to Combat Fraud
To tackle the rise in mobile-enabled fraud, the Committee agreed to:
- Enhance monitoring of high-risk mobile money transactions
- Accelerate evidence preservation and escalation with telecom providers
- Strengthen intelligence on investment, forex, and cryptocurrency schemes
- Take swift action against fake websites and impersonation accounts
- Standardize fraud data classification
The Ministry cautioned fraudsters that all complaints will be thoroughly investigated in line with the law.
Public Advisory
Members of the public are urged to protect themselves by:
- Never sharing PINs, passwords, or one-time passwords (OTPs)
- Enabling multifactor authentication where available
- Reporting suspicious phone numbers, accounts, websites, and transactions to relevant authorities
