More than 6,000 telephone numbers have been identified in Ghana in connection with suspected fraudulent activities, according to scam verification and reporting platform TrustGH. The numbers were reportedly identified through public complaints and investigations conducted using open-source intelligence.
TrustGH says TikTok accounts for about half of the reported scam numbers, making the platform the biggest source of reported scam-related activity in its database. Other cases have been connected to WhatsApp, SMS, Facebook, Google Business Profiles, phone calls and fraudulent websites.
The platform explained that many of the schemes depend on social engineering, with fraudsters pretending to be bank officials, government workers, police officers, company executives, recruitment agents and legitimate business operators in an attempt to gain the confidence of unsuspecting victims.
According to the findings, more than 90 per cent of the reported cases involved attempts to obtain Mobile Money payments or illegally access victims’ Mobile Money accounts. TrustGH described the situation as a serious cybersecurity concern given the widespread use of mobile financial services in Ghana.
The platform has also warned that scammers are increasingly moving victims from one platform to another, often using TikTok to make initial contact before continuing conversations through WhatsApp, SMS or telephone calls. TrustGH says it is collaborating with the Cybersecurity Authority and the Ghana Police Service’s Cyber Crime Unit to support investigations.
Source: GhanaNsem
