{"id":148727,"date":"2024-02-07T17:53:25","date_gmt":"2024-02-07T17:53:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2024\/02\/07\/gh%c2%a23-5m-lost-through-online-shopping-romance-scams-in-2023\/"},"modified":"2024-02-07T17:53:25","modified_gmt":"2024-02-07T17:53:25","slug":"gh%c2%a23-5m-lost-through-online-shopping-romance-scams-in-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2024\/02\/07\/gh%c2%a23-5m-lost-through-online-shopping-romance-scams-in-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"GH\u00a23.5m lost through online shopping, romance scams in 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>At least GH\u00a23,558,940 was lost through online shopping and romance scams out of the total losses recorded in 2023, as reported by the Cyber Security Authority (CSA).<\/p>\n<p>The CSA has therefore reminded the public to exercise caution and due diligence in their online activities.<\/p>\n<p>In a statement regarding Valentine\u2019s Day scams issued on February 7, the CSA stated that malicious actors created fake websites or online shops, and impersonated existing businesses on social media, offering heavily discounted packages and items.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cVictims are enticed to send money for these items which they never receive, or they receive in substandard forms,\u201d it added.<\/p>\n<p>Concerning brand impersonation, the CSA also mentioned that malicious actors created fake business listings or profiles with their contact details on Google Maps, mimicking legitimate businesses or brands, and used search engine optimization techniques to manipulate search results for the targeted brand, diverting legitimate inquiries to the scammers\u2019 contact numbers.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAfter the unsuspecting victims engage and pay (usually to a mobile money wallet) for products, the scammers block them from making further contact, and the expected delivery does not materialise,\u201d it added.<\/p>\n<p>Regarding phishing scams, the NCA underscored that these malicious actors sent unsolicited emails or messages claiming to be from a romantic partner or a company offering Valentine\u2019s Day deals.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThese messages contain links or attachments that, when clicked, install malicious software (malware), or steal personal information,\u201d it added.<\/p>\n<p>Regarding romance scams, it said these persons created fake online profiles to deceive victims into believing they are engaging in a trusting relationship.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey use the relationship to persuade the victims to send money, provide personal and financial information, or purchase items for them,\u201d the NCA added.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1016718\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/95a282e0-2ace-46f3-9c3a-8c5139d5927e.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"716\" height=\"896\"  \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1016719\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/0aa9bfd2-6cc3-4fff-9b70-fbbef0887e4a-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"717\" height=\"897\"  \/><\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<p><strong><em>Explore the world of impactful news with CitiNewsroom on WhatsApp!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Click on the link to join the Citi Newsroom channel for curated, meaningful stories tailored just for YOU:\u00a0https:\/\/whatsapp.com\/channel\/0029VaCYzPRAYlUPudDDe53x<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>No spams, just the stories that truly matter!\u00a0<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"emoji\" role=\"img\" draggable=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/1f310.svg.svg+xml\" alt=\"\ud83c\udf10\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"emoji\" role=\"img\" draggable=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/1f4f0.svg.svg+xml\" alt=\"\ud83d\udcf0\"\/>\u00a0#StayInformed #CitiNewsroom #CNRDigital<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>At least GH\u00a23,558,940 was lost through online shopping and romance scams out of the total losses recorded in 2023, as reported by the Cyber Security Authority (CSA). The CSA has therefore reminded the public to exercise caution and due diligence in their online activities. In a statement regarding Valentine\u2019s Day scams issued on February 7, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":148728,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-148727","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-local-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>GH\u00a23.5m lost through online shopping, romance scams in 2023 - Ghanamma.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2024\/02\/07\/gh\u00a23-5m-lost-through-online-shopping-romance-scams-in-2023\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"GH\u00a23.5m lost through online shopping, romance scams in 2023 - Ghanamma.com\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"At least GH\u00a23,558,940 was lost through online shopping and romance scams out of the total losses recorded in 2023, as reported by the Cyber Security Authority (CSA). 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