Nearly half of all cybersecurity incidents reported in Ghana between January and July 2026 were linked to online fraud, highlighting the growing threat posed by cyber-enabled crime as digital financial services continue to expand.
The Cyber Security Authority (CSA) disclosed that its national Computer Emergency Response Team, CERT-GH, recorded 3,876 cybersecurity incidents during the seven-month period.
Of that figure, 1,818 incidents, representing about 47%, involved online fraud.
The figures were disclosed by the Director-General of the Cyber Security Authority, Divine Selase Agbeti, during the launch of the 2026 National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM) in Accra.
This year’s campaign is being held under the theme, “Securing Ghana’s Digital Finance Ecosystem: Building Trust Through Collaboration and Cyber Resilience.”
Online fraud remains a major cyber threat
Mr Agbeti said the statistics reflected the increasing vulnerability of individuals, businesses and institutions as Ghanaians increasingly rely on mobile money, online banking, digital payments and e-commerce platforms.
According to the CSA, the rapid growth of digital financial services has created new opportunities for criminals to target unsuspecting users.
The Director-General warned that behind every reported cyber incident could be a person, family, business or institution suffering financial losses, operational disruption, emotional distress or reputational damage.
He stressed that the growth of Ghana’s digital economy must be accompanied by stronger cybersecurity awareness and protective measures.
Financial fraud cases also rising
The CSA’s concerns are reinforced by figures from the Bank of Ghana’s 2025 Fraud Report, which showed a significant increase in reported fraud cases across banks, specialised deposit-taking institutions and payment service providers.
Reported fraud cases increased by 48%, rising from 16,733 cases in 2024 to 24,778 cases in 2025. The total value at risk was reported at GH¢101 million.
The payment service provider sector recorded an especially worrying trend, with electronic fraud incidents increasing by 54%. The value at risk in that sector also increased by 95%, from GH¢19 million to GH¢37 million.
Cybersecurity must go beyond the IT department
Mr Agbeti cautioned organisations against treating cybersecurity as merely a regulatory requirement or an issue that should be handled exclusively by their information technology departments.
He said cybersecurity should instead be treated as a board-level governance responsibility and an operational resilience priority.
Financial institutions, fintech companies, payment service providers, insurers and merchants have therefore been urged to strengthen their cybersecurity systems.
Among the measures recommended are stronger identity and access management, multi-factor authentication, regular vulnerability assessments, better protection of customer information and improved incident-response systems.
AI creating new challenges for cybercrime
The CSA Director-General also warned that advances in artificial intelligence are making cybercrime increasingly sophisticated.
Criminals can exploit technologies such as voice cloning, impersonation and social engineering to make fraudulent schemes appear more convincing.
This development means that traditional approaches to identifying scams may no longer be sufficient, making public awareness and stronger institutional safeguards increasingly important.
The CSA has consequently called for greater collaboration among regulators, financial institutions, telecommunications companies, law enforcement agencies and the public.
Ghanaians urged to remain vigilant
Mr Agbeti urged the public to take greater responsibility for protecting their digital accounts and personal information.
Ghanaians have been advised to verify suspicious requests, protect their online accounts with strong security measures and report suspected cyber incidents promptly.
He also stressed the importance of timely reporting because delays can give cybercriminals more opportunity to move stolen funds, compromise accounts or target additional victims.
The CSA has maintained that cybersecurity is a shared responsibility and that no organisation should wait until it becomes a victim before strengthening its digital security.
As Ghana’s dependence on digital financial services grows, the ability to protect consumers, businesses and institutions from online fraud will be critical to maintaining public confidence in the country’s digital economy.
