Fake Fuliza Offers: How AI Deepfakes Are Being Used to Scam Customers

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Fraudsters are increasingly exploiting artificial intelligence (AI) to create convincing videos, cloned voices and fake websites impersonating Safaricom executives, promotions and products, including Fuliza, in schemes designed to defraud unsuspecting customers.

The fraudulent advertisements promise rewards such as cash giveaways, doubled Fuliza loan limits and lucrative investment opportunities, often directing customers to suspicious links or asking them to provide personal information or pay fees to access the supposed benefits.

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As AI-generated content becomes more sophisticated, customers may find it increasingly difficult to distinguish genuine promotions from manipulated videos and fabricated online advertisements.

Through its ongoing #JiulizeKamaNiUkweli campaign, Safaricom is seeking to educate customers on how to question suspicious offers, identify possible warning signs and verify information before making financial decisions.

How fraudsters use AI to deceive customers
Deepfake technology can manipulate video and audio to make a person appear to say or do something they never actually did. Voice-cloning tools can also imitate familiar voices, making fraudulent calls or recordings sound convincing.

Fraudsters may exploit these capabilities to create advertisements featuring people who appear to be company executives endorsing promotions that have not been verified. Others create fake websites that resemble legitimate company pages, using familiar logos, colours and branding to gain customers’ trust.

In the case of Fuliza-related scams, an advertisement may promise to double a customer’s loan limit or provide access to an exclusive financial reward after clicking a link, registering personal details or paying an upfront fee.

Such promises can exploit customers’ desire for quick financial assistance or attractive rewards, encouraging them to act before checking whether the offer is genuine.

A familiar face, convincing voice or professional-looking website should therefore not be treated as proof of authenticity.

Five warning signs to watch for

1. Unusual lip movements or facial expressions

When watching a video, check whether the speaker’s lip movements match the audio. Unnatural expressions, inconsistent facial movements or poorly synchronised speech may indicate manipulation.

However, not every deepfake displays obvious errors, and ordinary video or audio problems do not automatically mean content is fraudulent.

2. Robotic or unnatural voices

AI-generated audio may sometimes contain unusual pauses, changes in tone or unnatural speech patterns. Background sounds may also appear inconsistent with the recording.

These clues can prompt further scrutiny, but a realistic voice does not guarantee that the speaker or message is genuine.

3. Promises of unusually large rewards

Be cautious of advertisements promising guaranteed investment returns, free cash, surprise giveaways or instant increases in Fuliza limits, particularly when customers are required to pay a fee or provide sensitive information to qualify.

4. Suspicious website links

Fraudsters may create web pages with addresses resembling legitimate platforms but containing additional words, misleading spellings or unfamiliar domain names. Avoid clicking suspicious links, and independently access official Safaricom platforms to check whether a promotion exists.

5. Pressure to act immediately

Messages claiming that an offer expires within minutes or that a customer must act immediately to receive a reward should raise questions. Scammers may use urgency to prevent customers from independently verifying their claims.

Customers should remember that these warning signs are not definitive tests. Even sophisticated AI-generated videos can appear authentic, making independent verification the most important safeguard.

The Stop, Think, Act/Verify rule
To help customers respond safely to suspicious online content, the #JiulizeKamaNiUkweli campaign promotes a simple three-step verification framework: Stop, Think, Act/Verify.

Stop: Resist the pressure to act
The first step is to pause before responding to an online advertisement, unfamiliar phone call or message promising a financial reward.

Fraudsters may create a sense of urgency by claiming that a giveaway is about to close or that a Fuliza limit increase is available only to customers who respond immediately.

Customers should avoid clicking links, making payments or sharing personal information simply because an offer appears time-sensitive.

Taking a moment to pause creates an opportunity to assess the message and establish whether it is legitimate.

Think: Question what you see and hear
The second step involves examining the offer critically.

Customers should ask themselves whether the audio matches the speaker’s lip movements, whether the voice sounds unusual, whether the website address is suspicious and whether the promised reward appears unrealistic.

They should also question requests for upfront payments, confidential account details or verification codes in exchange for a supposed benefit.

The central question is whether the claim can be confirmed independently. A convincing video or familiar voice is not enough to establish that a promotion is genuine.

Act/Verify: Confirm before making a transaction
The final step is to verify the offer through official Safaricom communication channels or by contacting customer care using established contact details.

Customers should avoid using links or telephone numbers supplied in suspicious advertisements as their only means of verification. Instead, they should independently access the company’s official platforms and confirm the promotion and its terms.

They should never disclose their M-PESA PIN, passwords or one-time verification codes to people claiming to help them claim rewards or increase their loan limits.

If an offer cannot be verified, customers should not proceed. Suspicious advertisements should be reported through appropriate official channels.

What to do if you encounter a suspicious offer
Customers who encounter a suspected deepfake or fraudulent promotion should avoid sharing it as genuine before checking its authenticity.

If they have already clicked a suspicious link, they should stop interacting with the page and avoid providing additional information. Anyone who has shared confidential details or authorised a suspicious transaction should contact Safaricom through an official customer care channel promptly.

Where money has been lost, customers should preserve relevant evidence, including messages, screenshots, website addresses and transaction details, and report the incident to the relevant authorities.

Prompt action may help limit further exposure, although recovering lost money is not guaranteed.

Make verification a habit
As generative AI tools become more accessible, the challenge for consumers is no longer simply identifying poorly produced fake videos. Fraudulent content can be convincing enough to exploit trust in familiar people, brands and financial services.

Customers can reduce their exposure by questioning unexpected offers, resisting pressure to act quickly and verifying claims independently before sharing information or making payments.

The message behind the #JiulizeKamaNiUkweli campaign is straightforward: before trusting a video promising free money, a voice announcing a special promotion or an advertisement offering to double a Fuliza limit, ask whether the offer has been verified.

Stop. Think. Act/Verify.

A familiar face can be manipulated, a voice can be cloned and a website can be copied. Verification through official channels remains the critical step before acting on an online financial offer.