Namibia has seen a sharp rise in online crime, with the Namibian Police Force (NamPol) reporting thousands of cases of fraud, defamation and other social media-facilitated offences over the past three years. Between April 2022 and April 2025, NamPol recorded 11,990 fraud cases and 9,039 crimen injuria cases nationwide. Additionally, there were 4,835 reports of defamation of character and 165 cases of theft under false pretence. Assault through threatening was recorded in six cases and two cases of extortion were reported during the same period.
Lieutenant General Joseph Shikongo, NamPol Inspector-General, disclosed these figures during the launch of an ethical use of social media campaign recently. “We have recorded a growing number of criminal cases committed through or facilitated by social media platforms,” said Shikongo. He highlighted that prevalent online crimes include fraud, crimen injuria, defamation, theft under false pretence, assault through threatening, extortion and human trafficking.
On trafficking, Shikongo revealed six cases recorded between April 2022 and April 2025. These involved 38 Namibian victims recruited online to work abroad, 50 recruited to work within Namibia and four foreign nationals brought to the country for employment. Other offences being committed via social media include cyberbullying, online child sexual exploitation, distribution of explicit content without consent, hate speech and incitement to violence.
Shikongo noted that the campaign is not about policing free speech but promoting responsible online behaviour. He said,“It is about encouraging every Namibian to think before they post, verify before they share and engage without causing harm.” He also warned that careless posts can have serious consequences. “A single reckless post can destroy lives, careers,reputations and may land the offender in prison,” explained Shikongo while urging the public to embrace ethical use of digital platforms.
