Tahaqaq’s monthly report on combating digital fraud revealed a troubling surge in bank identity-impersonation operations during August 2026. The report documented 308 cases involving misleading pages and advertising campaigns aimed at impersonating 12 Libyan banks, marking a significant increase compared with July, which saw 107 cases.
The report showed that the targeting was systematic and coordinated, indicating the involvement of organized networks rather than isolated fraud attempts. The attacks were notably concentrated on a single bank, which accounted for 46.4% (143 cases) of the total recorded cases.
The findings also revealed the use of a largely standardized approach in communication channels and the pretexts employed. This coordination was evident in the exact repetition of a single promotional phrase in more than seven cases—whether in advertisements or posts—across pages impersonating three different banks. This suggests the possible involvement of a single source expanding its phishing and digital-grooming operations.
In this context, Fadia Al-Daghis, head of Tahaqaq’s Monitoring and Documentation Unit, explained that the expansion and development of digital-payment services locally had been accompanied by intensified activity from fraudulent networks. Meta’s transparency data indicated that many of these networks were operated from locations outside Libya. Although this data alone does not constitute sufficient and conclusive evidence, its recurrence in numerous cases is considered a relevant indicator in the absence of other, more reliable data.
Al-Daghis added: "We observed hundreds of interactions from citizens appearing to believe these traps, indicating a high likelihood of victims being deceived. Although a phone number is not conclusive evidence on its own, Libyan numbers accounted for less than half of the cases recorded during the month. Direct communication with some of the fraudsters to understand their behavior also showed that those who responded did not speak with a Libyan dialect."
We conclude this report, which we are sharing with you, by sounding the alarm over the expanding activity of fraud networks. We call on banks and relevant authorities to unify their efforts and intensify public awareness, as it is the first line of defense for reducing risks and limiting harm and losses.
