Digital payment platform, Visa, has released its annual Stay Secure study in Nigeria, disclosing that many children encounter online scams and struggle to recognise them.

The study, which assesses consumer awareness and behaviour around digital commerce and fraud and was conducted by Wakefield Research, stated that 76 per cent of consumers reported that children in their lives struggle to recognise scams, while 62 per cent had seen a child fall victim to a scam while gaming or shopping online.

The report also showed that 88 per cent of respondents in Nigeria had used AI tools to assist with shopping, including comparing prices (54 per cent), finding gift ideas (53 per cent), and checking reviews or product ratings (56 per cent).

The study said: “97 per cent feel new technologies, including AI-powered tools, are making online shopping faster and easier than before. AI is also influencing discovery, with 68% typically discovering new brands or retailers while shopping online.

“However, consumers remain more cautious when it comes to AI handling transactions on their behalf. Today, only 34 per cent would trust AI agents to complete checkout, reinforcing the importance of earning consumer trust in the age of agentic commerce.

“As AI adoption grows, consumers increasingly view the technology as part of the solution to fraud. 76 per cent feel AI has made scams easier to recognise today and 89 per cent believe AI will play a critical role in protecting consumers from fraud in the future.

“Shopping through social platforms has become mainstream, with 83 per cent of consumers in Nigeria having purchased products directly through social media platforms. As commerce expands across new channels, fraud risks continue to follow consumers online. 51 per cent have experienced a financial scam in the past 12 months. Among those who have experienced a scam, 57 per cent report the incident occurred on social media, more than those who encounter scams on other platforms such as websites, online marketplaces, or shopping apps.

“When it comes to protecting against fraud while shopping online, consumers look first to institutions rather than themselves. 49 per cent believe banks or financial institutions should be primarily responsible, followed by government authorities or regulators 35% and payment providers (30 per cent). Only seven per cent believe consumers themselves should hold primary responsibility.

“They also want more proactive reassurance. 64 per cent would feel secure receiving real-time alerts from their bank or payment app when something looks suspicious, while 39 per cent would feel more comfortable seeing a familiar, trusted logo at checkout.”

Speaking on the development, Head of Risk, Sub-region, Visa, Irene Auma, said: “Visa’s Stay Secure study shows that while online shopping and social commerce continue to grow, scams and fraud are evolving too. Consumers see fraud protection as a shared responsibility, but they expect financial institutions, governments, and payment providers to take the lead, underscoring the importance of secure-by-design payment systems.

“As commerce moves toward more agentic, AI-powered experiences, the study shows that consumers are embracing the convenience AI can bring to shopping but remain cautious when it comes to AI completing purchases on their behalf. With Visa Intelligent Commerce, we are helping enable the next era of commerce built on trust, control and confidence.”