Nigeria has emerged as Africa’s most spammed country, with more than half of all unknown calls received in 2025 identified as spam or fraud, according to a new report by Truecaller.
The report revealed that 51 percent of all unknown calls received by Nigerians were flagged as spam, placing Nigeria eighth globally and first in Africa ahead of , , , and .
According to the global caller identification platform, Nigeria’s spam crisis stands out because telecom and operator-linked outreach account for the largest share of unwanted calls. Telecom-related calls represented 35 percent of all spam in Nigeria, the highest single-category concentration recorded in any African market covered by the report.
Sales and telemarketing calls accounted for 10 percent, while scams made up six percent.
Telecom-Linked Spam Raises Fraud Concerns
The report warned that the growing volume of automated outreach from telecom operators and unverified third-party agents is making it increasingly difficult for Nigerians to distinguish legitimate calls from fraudulent ones.
As a result, users often struggle to determine whether an unknown caller is a network provider confirming a subscription, a loan marketer, or a scammer impersonating a trusted brand.
Truecaller noted that a similar trend has also been observed in , one of the few major markets where operator-linked calls dominate the spam landscape.
Indonesia Tops Global Spam Rankings
Globally, ranked as the world’s most spammed country, with 79 percent of unknown calls flagged as spam in 2025. followed with 70 percent, while , Brazil, and completed the top five.
The report added that automated systems now drive more than 70 percent of unknown calls across several countries in South America and Southeast Asia.
In late 2025, Truecaller’s Middle East and Africa region surpassed 100 million monthly active users, with Africa becoming one of the platform’s fastest-growing markets.
Spam Calls Eroding Trust in Phone Communication
The report stressed that the long-term impact of spam calls extends beyond financial fraud, warning that persistent spam is gradually eroding public trust in phone communication.
As users increasingly ignore unknown calls, legitimate businesses and essential service providers such as hospitals, schools, banks, and dispatch services now struggle to reach customers.
According to : “The scale of what this data shows should concern everyone. Fraud, impersonation, and scams are affecting people’s daily lives in a way we have never seen before.”
He added that in some countries, most unknown calls are now spam, creating what he described as “a fundamental breakdown in how communication works.”
Truecaller disclosed that it crossed 500 million monthly active users globally on March 31, 2026, with more than 150 million users outside India.