A study by Visa, has revealed that most Kenyans often overlook warning signs associated with fraudulent criminal activity, a matter that has left them vulnerable to attacks.
The Study conducted across 17 countries revealed that consumers’ confidence in detecting scams was bloated compared to their actual ability to spot these scams.
“More than half (56%) claim to be tech-savvy enough to sidestep online and phone scams. The reality is that nine out of ten (90%) are likely to disregard the warning signs that suggest criminal activity,” the Visa Stay Secure study stated.
Visa revealed that most Kenyans often respond to positive phrases like “free gift”, “you’ve been selected”, “claim your prize”, or “you are a winner.”
“Phrases that convey urgency, like “Urgent”, “Open now”, or “48 hours only”, would prompt 60% of respondents into action,” the study added.
Interestingly, the people with the most probability of falling prey to such scams were overconfident people and those who consider themselves to be more knowledgeable than others.
91 per cent of the study’s participants who considered themselves knowledgeable and invulnerable to attacks admitted to acting on at least one type of message or offer.
They disclosed that they were most likely to respond to messages about a security risk, a notice from the government or police, and a giveaway or opportunity to get something for free.
Younger people who consider themselves tech-savvy were particularly vulnerable to such cases having fallen victim to one or multiple scams.
"Those who use crypto for payments are more likely to have been a victim of a scam (66%) and even multiple scams (31%)," Visa remarked.
The VISA study findings come on the back of data shared by the National Kenya Computer Incident Response Team and Coordination Centre that ranked Kenya as the third most targeted country in Africa for cyber attacks.
The data revealed that majority of the attacks were a result of hackers exploiting flaws and vulnerabilities in organizations' internal controls and information systems.
Consequently, the coordination centre suggested proactive measures Kenyans can take to protect themselves against cybercrime including utilizing secure internet connections, using unique passwords among others.
