Online fraud accounts for 47% of cybersecurity incidents in Ghana — CSA

Online fraud accounted for 47 per cent of cybersecurity incidents recorded in Ghana between January and July 2026, highlighting the growing threat posed by cyber-enabled crime to the country’s digital economy.

The Cyber Security Authority (CSA) said its national Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-GH) recorded 3,876 cybersecurity incidents during the seven-month period, of which 1,818 cases were linked to online fraud.

Director-General of the CSA, Divine Selase Agbeti, disclosed the figures in Accra at the launch of the 2026 National Cyber Security Awareness Month.

He warned that the rapid expansion of digital financial services was increasing opportunities for cybercriminals to exploit individuals, businesses and financial institutions.

Mr Agbeti also referenced the Bank of Ghana’s 2025 Fraud Report, which recorded a 48 per cent increase in reported fraud cases involving banks, specialised deposit-taking institutions and payment service providers.

According to the report, reported fraud cases rose from 16,733 in 2024 to 24,778 in 2025, with GH¢101 million identified as being at risk.

The CSA Director-General said the increasing incidents posed a significant threat to public confidence in digital financial services and urged financial institutions and businesses to treat cybersecurity as a core governance responsibility.

He said cybersecurity should not be regarded merely as an IT function or a regulatory requirement, stressing that institutions must put in place systems capable of protecting customers and responding effectively to cyber threats.

“Once customers believe that a mobile money wallet can be emptied without recourse, that an online merchant may be fraudulent, that a bank transfer can be diverted, or that personal data can be abused without consequence, confidence erodes.

“Cybersecurity cannot remain a compliance exercise done solely for the regulator or a technology project delegated solely to the IT department. It is a board-level governance obligation and an operational resilience requirement.”

Mr Agbeti called for stronger cybersecurity measures, including the use of multi-factor authentication, improved identity management, regular vulnerability assessments and more effective incident-response systems.

He also warned that the growing use of artificial intelligence was giving criminals new tools to carry out sophisticated scams through voice cloning, impersonation and social engineering.

He urged institutions to strengthen their cybersecurity systems before they become victims of attacks.

“No institution should wait to become a victim before taking cybersecurity seriously.

“Ghana’s digital finance future will be shaped not only by how quickly we innovate but also by how safely we do so,” he emphasised.