Rwanda Reports Drop in Attempted Bank Thefts

Speaking to journalists after presenting the March 19, 2026, Monetary Policy and Financial Stability Statement, Hakuziyaremye said the central bank is monitoring theft attempts at Equity Bank Rwanda, though she declined to disclose the amounts involved.

She noted that while digital technology has led to new forms of financial crime, overall attempted bank thefts decreased last year. “With technology, we see crimes targeting digital financial services, but the visible theft attempts have dropped over the past two years, from 5,000 in 2024 to 3,000,” she said.

Rwanda has 11 commercial banks, one development bank, one cooperative bank, multiple SACCOs, and several microfinance institutions. Hakuziyaremye stressed that no financial system is immune to crime, but preventive measures are key.

“Claiming financial services are completely safe would be misleading. The question is how we protect institutions and the nation so that, even if technology-based theft occurs, we prevent it and ensure culprits are held accountable,” she said.

She added that some stolen funds in the Equity Bank case have been recovered, and the National Bank ensures customers affected by theft are reimbursed within seven days.

Hakuziyaremye said robust security measures at Rwandan financial institutions have contributed to the decline in attempted thefts. Global data show that every 39 seconds a cyberattack occurs, with more than 2,200 potential digital attacks daily.