A senior official at the Cyber Security Authority has revealed that online fraud represents the most prevalent form of cybercrime in Ghana, accounting for a significant portion of complaints received by the agency.
Isaac Socrates Mensah, Senior Manager at the Cyber Security Authority, disclosed that online fraud alone accounted for GH¢12.87 million in losses between January and September 2025. Speaking at a cybersecurity awareness event organized by the Financial Intelligence Centre and the CSA on October 8, 2025, he explained that nearly half of all reported cases this year were linked to online fraud.
According to Mensah, online fraud encompasses various categories including investment scams, job recruitment scams, romance scams and shopping scams, which amount to 47 percent of complaints received through the agency’s reporting point of contact. Online fraud accounts for 36% of all cyber incidents, followed by cyberbullying at 25%, blackmail at 14%, unauthorized access at 12%, and information disclosure at 9%.
Speaking at MTN’s Bright Conversations on Cybersecurity, Mensah revealed that most cyber incidents in Ghana are no longer purely technical but increasingly involve social engineering, exploiting human trust rather than system flaws. He cited the recent surge in fake social media accounts for the Ghana Armed Forces after they announced recruitment as one of the major online fraud schemes in recent times, with close to 200 different accounts created in the name of the Ghana Army identified two weeks ago.
Other leading cybercrime activities include online blackmail, for which the authority receives five complaints daily, and unauthorized access involving fraudsters taking over user accounts. Impersonation scams followed online fraud with GH¢5.66 million in losses, while online blackmail cost victims nearly GH¢595,000.
From January alone, the CSA handled nearly 300 cases linked to online criminal activity. Reported cyber incidents rose from 1,317 in the first half of 2024 to 2,008 during the same period in 2025, a surge of over 50%.
Mensah emphasized that crimes committed are mostly not technical but social engineering, fueled largely by greed. He noted that people are often quick to blame service providers when incidents occur, but deeper investigation reveals victims were social engineered into giving out information or taking certain actions.
He disclosed that working with partners in security agencies and MTN, the CSA has blocked close to 1,300 numbers from January until June that have been involved in criminal activities. The authority is advancing some of these cases, emphasizing that cybercrime is a matter of social engineering rather than purely technical problems.
Mensah announced that Ghana is taking bold steps to strengthen its digital identification system and clamp down on SIM-related fraud through a new SIM re-registration exercise. The CSA is collaborating with mobile network operators to develop a framework linking every mobile device to its registered SIM card, ensuring that once a fraudster’s SIM is blocked, the associated device is automatically disabled across all networks.
To help fight cybercrime, Mensah stressed that while the Cybersecurity Agency will do its part, individuals must be aware of dangers they face and implement security measures to avoid becoming victims. Because it’s more of a social problem than technical, creating awareness and educating people about what they should and shouldn’t do remains critical.
President John Dramani Mahama, speaking at the 2025 National Cybersecurity Awareness Month launch on October 1, emphasized the importance of international cooperation, stating that cyber threats know no borders and it’s crucial to put measures in place to prevent them.
Source: newsghana.com.gh
