Stop Using Fake Social Media Accounts To Dupe People — Oppong Nkrumah Warns

Government has sent a strong warning to scammers to desist from using fake social media accounts of high profile personalities to dupe members of the general public.

According to a statement sighted by Modern Ghana and signed by the Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, it says these unverified accounts are mostly created in the names of Public Institutions, Ministers, Members of Parliament and other public figures.

"The accounts are used as platforms to promise jobs, scholarships, contracts and Senior High School/National Service Placements in exchange, victims are lured into making advance cash payments to secure the offers, " he stated.

The Information Ministry is advising the general public not to transact any pecuniary business with accounts of government functionaries via social media and encouraged them to report same to police immediately.

Below is a copy of the full statement:

Caution Against Fake Social Media Accounts

The Government of Ghana wishes to caution against the use of fake social media accounts to dupe members of the general public.

These unverified accounts are mostly created. in the names of Public Institutions, Ministers, Members of Parliament and other public figures. The accounts are used as platforms to promise jobs, scholarships, contracts and senior high school/national service placements in exchange, victims are lured into making advance cash payments to secure the offers.

Since August, 2019, Ghana’s Security Agencies have recorded a significant upsurge in the use of fake accounts, particularly on Facebook, to swindle unsuspecting citizens to part with various sum of money and other valuable items.

Though the Security Agencies and Social Media Service Providers are making the necessary efforts to clamp down on these activities, government hereby calls on the general public to heighten its sensee of awareness on social media, particularly when dealing with accounts purporting to be those offovernment officials.

The public is advised not to transact any pecuniary business with governments agencies via social media and encouraged to report such incidents to the Police immediately.

Government and all other stakeholders shall continue with collaborations to deepen cyber security.