The country loses an estimated $1.3 million from mobile money fraud in the first quarter of 2025, according to a recently released Interpol report.
The Interpol African Cyber Threat Assessment Report highlighted the rise of cybercriminals exploiting Ghana’s digital payment ecosystem.
It identified mobile money fraud as the most common form of online scam reported across Africa, with 97% of countries that participated in its member survey citing it as a significant cybercrime challenge.
It further noted that Ghana is among African countries facing increasing cases of cyber-enabled financial crimes, with fraudsters targeting mobile money users through various deceptive methods aimed at gaining access to their accounts and funds.
The report noted that criminals frequently rely on phishing, SIM-swap attacks, fake promotions and social engineering tactics to defraud victims underscoring how the expansion of digital financial services has created new avenues for criminals to exploit vulnerabilities in mobile payment systems.
It cited instances where fraudsters intercept one-time passwords, take control of accounts and carry out unauthorised transactions.
INTERPOL has warned that the use of artificial intelligence is making cyber scams more polished, with criminals deploying AI-generated messages, voice cloning and other tools to make their schemes appear more credible.
The international police organisation has called for stronger collaboration among law enforcement agencies, financial institutions and telecommunications companies to tackle the growing threat of cyber threat.
It also urged countries to intensify public education campaigns and strengthen cybersecurity systems to safeguard users of digital financial platforms.
By Florence Adom Asamoah