State of Scams in Nigeria 2026: A Comparative Review Across Africa
Blog ·
Date of Event: 7 October 2026 Event: GASA Africa Webinar
Date of Event: 7 October 2026 Event: GASA Africa Webinar
Scams have become a routine part of digital life in Nigeria, reaching consumers through phone calls, messaging platforms, social media and financial services. New research from the Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA) shows that 84% of Nigerian adults encountered a scam in the past year , while 54% interacted with a scammer and 22% lost money or shared personal information that subsequently led to money being stolen .
Nigerian adults experienced an estimated 104 scam encounters per person over the past year , with investment scams generating the highest level of interaction at 40% . Unexpected money scams followed at 33% , while 30% interacted with impersonation scams.
Confidence in recognising scams remains limited, with 49% of respondents saying they were confident they could identify one. Dr. Robinson Tombari Sibe noted that digital knowledge alone does not make someone immune to scams, particularly when criminals exploit trust, urgency, emotion and familiar contexts.
Scams are estimated to have cost Nigerian adults ₦7.36 trillion over the past year, with victims losing an average of approximately ₦257,008 .
Repeat victimisation is also common. 62% of those who lost money were scammed more than once , with victims losing money an average of 2.4 times during the year.
The consequences extend beyond financial loss. 74% of victims said being scammed had a moderate or significant impact on their mental wellbeing .
Dr. Sibe argued that traditional cybersecurity advice, such as looking for poor spelling or other obvious warning signs, is becoming less effective as scams evolve. He pointed to the growing use of AI and the need for awareness programmes that reflect both new technologies and the human vulnerabilities scammers exploit.
Peter Ehizogie examined the role technology can play in prevention, including digital identity, behavioural biometrics and network analysis to identify suspicious activity before transactions are completed. At the same time, he identified consumer education as an important part of reducing vulnerability.
Hanniel Jafaru called for awareness efforts to go further at community level, including the use of local languages and greater outreach to people in rural areas.
Samuel Oluwasogo highlighted how a single scam can move from a messaging platform to a bank transfer and across several institutions. He called for stronger mechanisms between regulators, law enforcement, financial institutions and telecommunications providers to share intelligence quickly, identify emerging patterns and intervene earlier.
Reporting is another part of that response. The Nigeria report found that scam victims were more likely to tell friends and family than report to authorities, while only 11% of those who formally reported financial losses recovered or were reimbursed for their money . Oluwasogo argued that reporting needs to lead to visible action if consumers are to have confidence in the system.
Collaboration emerged as a practical priority across the session. Better connections between existing systems, institutions and intelligence could help Nigeria move from responding after losses occur towards detecting and disrupting scams earlier.
Watch the full discussion below to hear the findings and perspectives from the panel.
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