The National Bank of Rwanda reported that fraud and theft cases in the financial sector, including those involving technology, fell by 30% in the second quarter of 2026, dropping to 2,879 from 4,128 in the same period of 2025.
Although the number of cases declined, recovering money lost through fraud remained difficult.
The amount lost through fraudulent activities fell by 26% to Rwf471 million, down from Rwf637 million in the second quarter of 2025.
Only 3.6% of the money lost during the period was recovered.
BNR Governor Soraya Hakuziyaremye presented the figures while giving an update on monetary policy and financial stability.
She said fraud and cyber theft remained a major concern for the financial sector as the use of digital financial services continued to grow.
“As the use of technology continues to increase, one of the major operational concerns we have is fraud and cyber theft,” Hakuziyaremye said.
The decline in fraud cases came as digital payments continued to expand across Rwanda.
The value of digital payments reached the equivalent of 341% of Rwanda’s gross domestic product during the first half of 2026, up from 321% in the same period of 2025.
Payments for goods and services through digital channels increased by 36% to Rwf27.8 trillion, from about Rwf20.4 trillion a year earlier.
Mobile-based payments were among the services that contributed to the growth in digital transactions.
BNR also strengthened measures aimed at reducing fraud and other risks associated with the expansion of digital financial services.
Those measures included improving digital customer identification and verification and increasing oversight of payment service providers.
The central bank also urged users of digital financial services to remain cautious, saying fraudsters were continuing to use deceptive methods to persuade customers to approve fraudulent transfers.
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