'I never did this advert', AI clones hijack Ghanaian identities for profit

Savannah Adwoa Mensah remembered when her digital safety shattered on a quiet Saturday morning while scrolling through Facebook. She saw an AI-generated image of herself promoting an obscure herbal skincare brand with the promise: "100% Natural Glow Guaranteed." Savannah Mensah reported the page to Meta and issued a public warning: "If you see an ad of me promoting this product, it's not me. It's an AI-generated image used without my consent."

Maame Esi Nyamekye Thompson, a senior journalist with Joy News, had her AI-generated likeness used to promote a fake diabetes treatment. The advertisement declared: "Try an innovative product that changes the concept of diabetes treatment. Doctors are amazed at its effectiveness, and patients are thrilled with the results. Start treatment today!" Thompson responded publicly: "This is still ongoing. I never did this advert lol." In September 2024, Bernard Avle of Accra-based Citi FM became the target of a voice-cloning scam. In November 2023, Bongiwe Zwane and Francis Herd, two South African public-broadcast anchors, were digitally impersonated in AI-generated videos promoting fraudulent investment schemes. One Facebook version got 113,000 views and another about 11,000 views. A version posted on YouTube has been viewed 134,000 times.

A 2025 report by TransUnion Africa and digital verification firm Smile ID revealed that deepfake-linked fraud in Africa surged sevenfold in late 2024.