Ghanaians lost an estimated $1.3 million to mobile money fraud in the first quarter of 2025 alone, highlighting the growing threat of cyber-enabled financial crime across the country.
According to the INTERPOL African Cyberthreat Assessment Report 2026, Ghana remains one of the hardest-hit nations as cybercriminals increasingly exploit digital payment platforms to target unsuspecting users.
According to the report, mobile money fraud is now Africa’s top online scam, flagged as a primary threat by 97% of surveyed nations. Scammers frequently deploy phishing, SIM swaps, fraudulent giveaways, and clever psychological manipulation to hijack user accounts.
As INTERPOL highlighted, the rapid boom in digital payment systems has created an expanding playground for fraudsters, making mobile money theft the region’s most widespread digital crime.
Kenya faces a similar crisis, where law enforcement uncovered over 123,000 fraudulent SIM cards tied to SIM-swapping networks in 2025 alone. By exploiting gaps in mobile payment ecosystems, scammers easily intercept OTPs, take over accounts, and drain funds unnoticed.
Compounding the issue, INTERPOL cautions that artificial intelligence is supercharging these digital threats.
Cybercriminals are increasingly using cloned voices, AI-crafted phishing messages, and psychological manipulation to deceive unsuspecting victims into authorising fraudulent transactions or sharing private information.
Stopping this tide of cybercrime will require unified action. INTERPOL is urging law enforcement, banks, and telecom providers to join forces, while pushing nations to scale up public education and strengthen defences for digital payment systems.
