Digital Deception and The Ethics of Making Money from False Stories

Author's: 1Akinmade Oyinkansola, 2Ajisafe Ibikunle Olayiwola

Affilation: 1,2Afe Babalola University Ado-Ekiti, Department of Media and Communication Studies.

Volume 1, Issue 1, 2026 | Pages: 37–43 |

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Abstract

In the age of influencer culture, authenticity has become both a currency and a performance. This commentary examines the recurring case of Nigerian content creator and self-styled relationship expert Blessing Okoro, popularly known as Blessing CEO, who has twice fabricated life-threatening illness narratives to solicit financial donations from her online followers. Most recently, in March 2026, she appeared on Instagram weeping and shaving her hair, claiming a stage four breast cancer diagnosis. Within days, medical professionals publicly identified serious inconsistencies in her claims, a third party alleged that the uploaded medical documents had been forged using her own records, and a live televised encounter on Arise News on April 4, 2026 exposed the deception before a national audience. Crucially, this was not her first offence a near-identical pattern of fabrication and monetisation had occurred previously, raising urgent questions not merely about individual misconduct but about the structural conditions that enable and reward repeat digital deception. Using this case as a primary case study, this commentary explores the ethical implications of monetizing false narratives, the commodification of audience compassion, the phenomenon of repeat offending in unregulated digital spaces, and the erosion of trust in digital media ecosystems. It situates the case within broader debates on influencer accountability, parasocial relationships, and the challenges of regulating online spaces in Nigeria and across Africa. Ultimately, the commentary argues that such episodes are symptomatic of deeper structural failures in platform governance, media regulation, and audience literacy, and calls for concrete policy responses from Nigerian regulators, platform operators, and media institutions.

Keywords

Influencer culture, media ethics, media regulations, audience literacy, digital deception.

References

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Recommended Citation
Oyinkansola, A., & Olayiwola, A. I.(2026).Digital Deception and The Ethics of Making Money from False Stories International Journal of Science, Technology and Policy(IJSTP), 1(1), 37–43.