Lagos urges residents to protect digital identity amid rising cyber fraud

During a YouTube session, Dr. Oladimeji Moses, the Lagos State Coordinator of LSSTF Campaign Against Crime, Cultism and Other Vices, stated that the training aimed to address the prevalence of cybercrime. He cited National Bureau of Statistics data indicating over 119,000 data breaches in 2025, resulting in significant financial losses. Oluwabamise Soile, Lead Security Governance and Risk at Payaza, delivered a keynote lecture titled ‘Staying safe in a digital world,’ advising residents to prioritize digital safety.

She warned that excessive exposure of personal identity on social media increases the risk of digital identity theft, which criminals can exploit. Soile emphasized that Personally Identifiable Information, including bank details, tokens, and biometrics, should not be shared on social media. She also urged the government to adopt technology to track criminals using digital identity.

Meshole Emmanuel, LSSTF-CACCOV Head of Programmes and Outreach, advised participants not to expose sensitive information and to report data breaches and cybersecurity threats to authorities, while taking immediate steps to protect their data.