TLDR: Former Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s verified X (formerly Twitter) account was briefly compromised to promote a fraudulent cryptocurrency called ‘Kenya Token.’ This incident underscores the escalating threat of generative AI in facilitating financial fraud and creating convincing synthetic media across Africa, with similar scams previously targeting public figures and media outlets.
A sophisticated deepfake scam recently exploited the verified X (formerly Twitter) account of former Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga, drawing urgent attention to the growing risks associated with generative artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in financial fraud. On September 22, 2025, Odinga’s account briefly posted a message endorsing ‘Kenya Token,’ a digital asset falsely presented as the nation’s entry into a pan-African crypto revolution. The post, which included a video purportedly showing Odinga’s endorsement, was swiftly deleted within hours, but not before sparking confusion and interest in the dubious coin.
Critics quickly noted that the ‘Kenya Token’ project appeared just days before the fraudulent post, raising suspicions that it was specifically orchestrated to leverage Odinga’s influential political stature and attract Kenya’s active cryptocurrency community. The token itself lacked fundamental legitimacy, with no public contract address, transaction history, or a clear roadmap. Despite these red flags, a Telegram group for the ‘Kenya Token’ has already amassed over 1,600 members, illustrating the effectiveness of such deceptive tactics.
This incident is not isolated but rather indicative of a broader trend across Africa, where rapid advancements in generative AI are fueling a new wave of fraud. Fraudsters are increasingly utilizing AI to produce hyper-realistic documents, images, and voices, enabling them to bypass verification systems and lend credibility to illicit schemes.
Also Read:
- Generative AI’s Double-Edged Sword: Fueling Sophisticated Fraud While Empowering Defense
- Combating Digital Deception: The Rise of AI Deepfake Detection for Social Media Integrity
Previous deepfake scams in the region include a fraudulent M-Pesa project promoted on Facebook, featuring a deepfake video of an NTV news anchor announcing the scheme and exploiting the likeness and voice of Safaricom CEO Peter Ndegwa. Earlier in the year, a similar scam in Tanzania saw the X account of billionaire Mohammed Dewji hijacked to market a fake digital token, which managed to raise nearly US$1.5 million before being exposed. These multiplying incidents highlight the critical need for enhanced cybersecurity measures and public awareness campaigns to combat the misuse of AI tools in perpetrating financial fraud.
