A new report reveals that document fraud is the leading cause of identity verification rejections in East Africa, with nearly 24% of attempts flagged for suspected fraudulent activity in 2025.

• Approximately 60% of these rejections were due to document integrity issues, such as manipulation and face swaps.
• Digital identity company Smile ID compiled the findings from over 200 million identity verification checks.
• The report highlights that East Africa's reliance on document-based verification systems, often without real-time biometric checks, creates vulnerabilities, particularly with the rise of AI-enabled fraud.