By Kingsley I. Ilechukwu, Bureau Chief, South West, Nigeria
Tizel Cybersecurity has urged firms in the financial sector to adopt advanced tools, partnerships, and training to stay ahead of artificial intelligence (AI-driven) fraud.
Chief Executive Officer at Tizel Cybersecurity, Happiness Obioha gave the advice while speaking on AI-powered identity theft and payment fraud, at the Payments Forum Nigeria [PAFON 2.0] held in Lagos, south west, Nigeria, recently where she said the rapidly growing threat could no longer be ignored by businesses, especially those in the payment space.
She said while AI continued to transform the way people lived and worked, it also introduced new security vulnerabilities that threatened the very systems users aimed to enhance.
Obioha referred to the latest Microsoft Cyber Signals report which highlighted a rise in AI-assisted scams targeting online shoppers using payments channels.
She warned that scammers were increasingly using AI to create more convincing fraudulent schemes.
In her words: “From deepfakes and synthetic identity fraud to real-time payment exploitation through bot attacks, cybercriminals are using AI to create smarter, more evasive fraud schemes. This is why security must be at the forefront of AI integration. Without a fortified environment, even the most innovative technologies risk becoming liabilities.
“At Tizel Cybersecurity, we’re not just observing this evolution—we’re actively shaping the future of secure innovation. We provide AI-driven security solutions that detect and prevent fraud in real-time, protect against identity theft, and ensure safe digital interactions across financial and business platforms.
“Our services include real-time threat detection and response, AI-based biometric authentication, fraud prevention using behavioral analytics, next-generation firewall and intrusion prevention systems, and comprehensive cybersecurity training designed to build a strong culture of security.”
She further stated that Tizel Cybersecurity had readied its team to support businesses by delivering proactive, intelligent, and adaptable security infrastructures—“because staying ahead of cybercriminals is not a one-time effort; it’s a continuous journey”.
‘As we leverage AI to drive inclusion and customer experience, let’s also prioritize security at every step. The question isn’t whether threats will come—it’s whether we’re prepared when they do”, she said.
As both a sponsor and participant at PAFON 2.0, she said they were excited to join industry leaders to explore the theme: “Bridging the Customer Experience Gap for Financial Inclusion Using AI.”
The Payments Forum Nigeria (PAFON) is a platform for discussing and addressing issues related to the Nigerian payments ecosystem. It’s a cross-industry event that brings together industry leaders, policymakers, fintech innovators, and other stakeholders to discuss topics like digital payments, cybersecurity, and financial inclusion.
