- As AI adoption grows, truthful bash scams associated with the trend, raising concerns astir cybersecurity
- Microsoft Nigeria and Ghana Managing Director, Ola Williams, has raised an alarm implicit AI scams successful 3 industries
- The Microsoft main noted that the emergence successful generative AI adoption has lowered the barroom for cybercriminals globally
Legit.ng’s Pascal Oparada has reported connected tech, energy, stocks, concern and the economy for implicit a decade.
The maturation of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) globally comes with a batch of downsides, particularly successful Nigeria, which is emerging arsenic Africa’s integer powerhouse.
According to experts, by 2030, Nigeria’s integer marketplace volition deed $27 billion.

Source: Getty Images
AI adoption increases fraud risk
However, this maturation comes with challenges, particularly regarding cybersecurity.
The Managing Director of Microsoft Nigeria and Ghana, Ola Williams, said the tech company’s latest probe shows a disturbing trend.
He disclosed that AI-powered scams are increasing astatine an alarming complaint globally.
Williams noted that arsenic Nigeria’s integer marketplace grows, the hazard of cyber threats grows, showing the urgent request for robust information measures to support gait with the integer growth.
Microsoft Nigeria pass Nigerians
He revealed that AI is lowering the barroom for cyber fraudsters, making it easier and cheaper to make mind-boggling, but believable contented for attacks astatine an alarming rate.
Experts person said Nigeria experienced a crisp summation successful cyberattacks successful 2024, with AI raising the standard and precision of attacks connected a ample scale.
Additionally, fake incidents successful Africa soared sevenfold from the 2nd 4th of 2024 to the 4th quarter, arsenic AI tools enabled fake identities, manipulating biometric data.
The types of AI scams
According to Williams, AI exertion is allowing criminals to entree tools to make deceptive scams, saying that the quality to gully connected fake merchandise reviews, AI websites, fakes, and dependable cloning allows scammers to make to expand.
He said it is indispensable for businesses and individuals successful Nigeria to beryllium alert of developments arsenic the trends go progressively fashionable and sophisticated.
E-commerce scam
Data from Statista reveals that Nigeria’s e-commerce adoption is connected the rise, with idiosyncratic entree surpassing the determination average.
However, the summation of AI has enabled the accelerated instauration of fraudulent e-commerce sites, that mimic morganatic ones, making it challenging for consumers to differentiate betwixt the genuine and the fake.
AI-generated merchandise descriptions, images, and reviews hoodwink customers into trusting these fraudulent merchants.
Also, AI-powered chatbots complicate issues, allowing imaginable customers to interact with customers, delaying repayments with excuses and manipulating complaints.

Source: Twitter
Employment and occupation fraud
Findings amusement that occupation and employment scams are besides connected the increase.
Legit.ng reported that the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) alerted Nigerians astir fake occupation offers.
The New Telegraph reported that Generative AI has enabled scammers to make fake occupation listings, profiles, and email campaigns, targeting susceptible and hopeless individuals, and mounting up AI-powered and automated interviews.
The Microsoft chief, Williams, asked occupation seekers to ticker retired for signs of occupation scams, specified arsenic outgo requests, bogus offers, unsolicited interrogation requests via SMS, and nary ceremonial connection channels.
He said scammers whitethorn besides petition idiosyncratic accusation for verification, asking occupation seekers to validate websites by checking unafraid connections specified arsenic HTTPS and utilizing Microsoft browser’s typo protection.
Dangote refutes occupation recruitment astatine the refinery
Legit.ng earlier reported that connected Friday, August 15, 2023, societal media successful Nigeria was awash with quality that Dangote was recruiting young Nigerian engineers into the refinery, a claim refuted by the refinery.
In a missive circulating connected the internet, the Dangote Group allegedly asked Nigerians to guardant the names of young engineers to enactment astatine the refinery.
The missive was written connected what appeared to beryllium the company's authoritative letterhead and addressed to the wide public, asking them to nonstop successful the names of candidates who should not beryllium much than 30 years aged for employment.
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Source: Legit.ng