226 victims lose over GH₵112K in six months to online blackmail in Ghana

• Aug 1, 2024

The Cyber Security Authority (CSA), has reported a significant surge in online blackmail cases across Ghana.

According to the Authority, 226 victims lost GH₵112,209 in the first six months of 2024 with an additional 141 reports filed between March and June.

The cases involve threat actors using social media platforms to initiate friendships, lure victims into intimate relationships, secretly record nude video calls, and later use the content for blackmail.

In a statement, the CSA advised people to avoid accepting friend requests from unknown individuals and use strong passwords to protect sensitive data.

“Following the March 2024 alert, in which the Cyber Security Authority (CSA) noted a 254% year-on-year increase in online blackmail cases for the first two months of the year, an additional one hundred and forty-one (141) reports were filed between March and June.

“The two hundred and twenty-six (226) cases recorded so far this year have resulted in a loss of GH¢ 112,209.”

In other news, recent data from the Bank of Ghana indicates that MoMo transactions have fallen by a staggering 24 million, with the total transaction value decreasing by GH¢10 billion.

The total number of MoMo transactions dipped significantly, falling to GH¢644 million compared to the GH¢668 million recorded in May 2024.

This downturn has raised concerns among stakeholders and experts, prompting discussions on the underlying factors and potential implications for the economy.

This resulted in a decline in the total value of MoMo transactions from GH¢234.3 billion to GH¢224 billion.

However, the balance of float, representing the money held in mobile money accounts, saw a slight increase from GH¢21.1 billion to GH¢22.2 billion during the review period.

The recent reduction in mobile money service usage can be attributed to economic and regulatory factors affecting user behaviour and market dynamics, along with growing calls for the reduction or elimination of the E-levy rate.

pulse.co.gh