Online blackmail increases in 2025
Data from the Cyber Security Authority has shown that online blackmail and sextortion cost Ghana about GH¢499,044 in the first four months of 2025.
The staggering surge is from the GH¢103,663 recorded during the same period in 2024.
The CSA bemoaned the economic impact of increasingly sophisticated cybercriminals who are becoming creative with their crimes.
It also noted that the number of reported cases has increased between January and April 2025 from 155 cases recorded during the same time last year.
The CSA also detailed the modus operandi of these cyber criminals.
According to them, the perpetrators typically use fake social media accounts, often featuring attractive profile images, to lure victims into romantic conversations.
After building trust, they manipulate victims into sharing explicit content, which is then used for extortion.
Victims are then usually forced to pay ransoms via Mobile Money, under threats that compromising images or videos will be posted online.
However, the CSA warns that payments often do not stop the blackmail. In many cases, victims continue to receive threats even after complying.
To avoid detection, attackers often shift conversations to encrypted platforms such as WhatsApp, Telegram, and Signal.
The CSA has, therefore, urged the public to remain vigilant, avoid engaging with unfamiliar online profiles, never share intimate content online, and report suspicious activities through its 24-hour cybersecurity support channels.
SSD/AE
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