<br /> How Scammers Are Exploiting AI in Nigeria: Lessons Every Smartphone User<br /> Must Know<br />

I’m very sure you must have come across an ad or an offer online that
looked too good to be true – an investment opportunity with ridiculously
high returns, a clip of a celebrity promoting something, or a WhatsApp
message that looked very important. It is simple to dismiss these off,
until one of them catches your attention. This is precisely what is
happening with the AI in Nigeria. Scammers are currently implementing AI
to make their tricks more difficult to detect, more believable, and more
harmful than ever before.

Previously, it was easy to identify a scam by noticing bad grammar or
blatant lies. Nowadays, you could be looking at a fake video of a
politician or a celebrity endorsement that seems real, yet is fully
created by AI (Can you believe that?). This is a particularly pressing
issue for us all, considering the large number of tech-savvy Nigerian
population and high social media use.

I would like to take you through the mechanics of how these scams are
executed, why they are more harmful now with AI, and how you can guard
yourself.

Table of Contents

How Scammers Use AI to Defraud You

Artificial intelligence is not necessarily bad; on the contrary, many
helpful tools operate based on artificial intelligence, which you use
every day, most likely. However, these tools can be used incorrectly,
just as any other great tool. Scammers now rely on AI in Nigerian scams
based on two technologies:

AI-Generated Deepfakes: These are synthesized
artificial videos or audio recordings generated by AI that imitate
actual faces and voices, which are frequently convincing. They are also
employed by fraudsters to appear as a recommendation of their scams by a
well-known person in society. The SEC in Nigeria has also issued a
warning, in particular, over the use of manipulated videos involving
politicians, celebrities, and TV hosts to advertise false investment
schemes.

Those videos are shared extensively via social media advertisements, and
groups, as well as various other unregulated sites like CBEX,
Silverkuun, and TOFRO have utilized them to attract victims with a sense
of authority.

AI-Generated Investment Claims: There are also scammers
who are purporting to use artificial intelligence trading systems that
assure unrealistic returns on their platform. They present fake
dashboards and artificial intelligence-based insights to convince you
that their system can help you get rich in a short period of time.
However, regulators have constantly pointed to such platforms as being
unregistered and illegal, and AI trading is merely a pretext to commit
fraud.

These methods make the scams of AI in Nigeria look professional and
believable, and much more compelling than the scams of old.

Consequences

These frauds are not basically harmless or isolated. In the last couple
of years, we’ve witnessed reports that individuals had spent so much on
platforms that were offering returns based on AI only to lose huge
amounts.

Such platforms as CBEX were popularized by purporting enormous profits
courtesy of generative AI systems – and solicited investors with tales
of initial successes. However, when the scheme failed, investors were
deprived of their funds, and the whole scheme was declared a Ponzi
scheme by regulators.

These stories may not only raise your curiosity, but they should also
make you cautious. Scams are using greed and fear to attract human
beings because these two emotions are easy to manipulate through the
creation of fake endorsements that appear authentic with the help of
AI-generated content.

Why Frauds are More difficult to detect.

It may seem that bad grammar or questionable links are the primary signs
of scams, but in the context of AI involvement, they are evaporating.
Scammers using AI can:

Copy voices such that a counterfeit video appears as one of your
trusted people.
Make deep fake videos in which a popular influencer promotes a
product.
Create refined testimonials and social media advertisements that would
feel official and professional.
Customize messages based on your interests, habits, or weaknesses.

You need to know that scams don’t appear fake anymore, as long as it
appears familiar. And that is exactly why AI in Nigeria scams are more
harmful: they confuse the truth and falsify a lot in ways most of the
people are not ready to see.

Social Media: The ideal Playground.

Social media is one of the reasons why such scams are so widespread. The
new channels of distribution have become Facebook, Instagram, Telegram,
and even TikTok. Fraudsters buy advertisements, form groups or direct
messages to thousands of users simultaneously, and before you can even
imagine that something is amiss, your feed is overwhelmed with credible
fake news.

The manipulated videos are also distributed via these platforms, and the
SEC has also highlighted how they are distributed with the help of ads
and influencer-style promotion, which makes fraudulent websites look
legitimate. This is a phenomenon that should be considered: you no
longer fight a single scammer. You are competing against organized
networks that target you on a scale with AI.

How These Scams Play with Psychology.

Fraudsters are not only good at deceiving people; most of the time, they
do this because they are emotionally affected. Fraudsters are aware of
that, and they create AI-enhanced material to predatory several
psychological triggers:

Authority Bias-when a video features someone saying
something, you tend to believe it more, especially when it is a
politician or a celebrity.

Fear of Missing out (FOMO) it seems that everyone is
becoming rich and you are missing the train.

Social Prooffake testimonials or success stories imply
that all the other people are winning, so you should, too.

What is frightening is that AI assists fraudsters in customizing
messages to you, based on their understanding of what you are interested
in or what you are doing on the internet. There is no need to be a
genius to do that; one only needs access to the plethora of easily
available AI tools and the most fundamental knowledge of social
engineering.

How You Can Protect Yourself

Understanding the threats is the first step, but you also need practical
ways to protect yourself. Here’s what I suggest:

1. Verify Before You Trust

If an investment platform claims to use AI, research it carefully. Check
with official regulators like the Securities and Exchange Commission
(SEC) in Nigeria to confirm whether the company is registered and
legitimate. If an offer includes screenshots or videos of celebrities
endorsing it, treat that with immediate skepticism unless you see
confirmation from the public figure themselves.

2. Don’t Act on Emotion

Promises of guaranteed returns, zero risk, or celebrity endorsements are
classic red flags. No legitimate investment can promise these things —
even legitimate AI tools don’t make guaranteed profits. Always approach
such offers slowly — scammers count on hurried decisions.

3. Check the Source

Real companies have verifiable websites, documented regulatory status,
and clear contact information. If something only operates through
WhatsApp groups, Telegram channels, or anonymous links, that’s a warning
sign. Scammers often avoid traceable infrastructure because it makes it
easier to disappear when things go wrong.

The Role of Education and Awareness.

Among the most profound lessons learned during the emergence of AI in
Nigeria frauds is that the majority of individuals are not aware of how
modern AI functions, and fraudsters take advantage of this knowledge
gap. The fact that AI is capable of producing text or images is
insufficient. You must understand how deepfake and AI generated
testimonials can be used to fool you. Sensitization, technological
literacy training, and discussions such as the one you are participating
in are important since they make you realize the patterns of deceit, not
the red flags.

Regulators Are Acting but You Still need to be watchful.

The Nigerian Securities and Exchange Commission already works to fight
AI-assist scams through the adoption of the newest surveillance
technologies and collaboration with other authorities, such as the
Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence
Unit (NFIU). Such initiatives will help the detectors to identify fraud
more efficiently, yet the regulators cannot be everywhere at the same
time. That is to say that your own vigilance is necessary.

Looking Ahead — How to be Safe in an AI-Driven World.

AI is not leaving — and that is not a bad thing. It drives useful
gadgets that simplify life in most aspects. However, with the same
technology, scammers are using the technology, so you must be more
alert, skeptical, and informed than ever before. Learning about AI in
Nigeria scams is not about fear, but about taking charge. Knowing how to
spot red flags, to check the facts, and to safeguard your personal
information is not only helping you to avoid fraudsters but also to
create a digital resilience system that will help you and everyone
around you.

Your smartphone can do a lot, but it is as safe as the
habits you establish around it. Always keep on being curious, always
keep on being careful, and most importantly, always keep in touch with
the information that is trusted. That is the way you prevent scammers
from making you their next prey.

How Scammers Are Exploiting AI in Nigeria: Lessons Every Smartphone User Must Know