CSA raises concern over rising online shopping scams and digital blackmail cases in Ghana
Date: 2025-11-02
By: Nana Appiah Acquaye
The Cyber
Security Authority (CSA) has raised alarm over a sharp rise in online shopping
scams and digital blackmail incidents targeting individuals across Ghana. The
disclosure was made during MTN Ghana’s Bright Conversation Series on
Cybersecurity, held at the MTN House in Accra and moderated by Jacqueline
Hanson Kotei, Senior Manager for Enterprise Information Security and Governance
at MTN Ghana.
Speaking at the
session, Isaac Socrates Mensah, Senior Manager at the CSA, said shopping scams
have become increasingly common, with fraudsters using social media platforms
and fake e-commerce channels to lure victims. He added that online blackmail
cases are also rapidly increasing, where criminals exploit personal information
and private data to extort money from unsuspecting individuals.
Mensah
cautioned that almost 200 fake social media accounts of the Ghana Armed Forces
have been used by scammers to deceive the public, while government institutions
continue to be impersonated to defraud citizens. Unauthorized access to
WhatsApp accounts also remains a growing threat as many users still fail to
activate two-factor authentication.
He also
highlighted the growing use of Artificial Intelligence in online scams, noting
that fraudsters are now leveraging AI tools to create fake images and videos
used to deceive victims. According to him, the CSA has successfully taken down
50 such AI-generated images this year. Mensah commended MTN Ghana for its
continuous support in the fight against mobile money fraud and called for
intensified public education to promote digital safety.
He stressed
that cybersecurity is a shared responsibility and called on the public,
organisations, and digital service providers to remain alert, adopt cyber
hygiene practices, and take proactive steps to protect their digital
identities. Mensah reiterated that the CSA is intensifying public education
while working with relevant stakeholders to combat these emerging cybercrime
trends.
This discussion
formed part of MTN’s ongoing Bright Conversations initiative aimed at driving
national awareness, collaboration and stronger stakeholder engagement on
emerging cybersecurity threats in Ghana.
