An audio message circulating on social media as a news report from an international news outlet suggesting that a government official has been caught laundering cash into the UK is fake.

A press statement by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) said a forensic analysis by the Centre revealed that the audio was computer-generated, using available technologies for fictitious audiovisual creation and manipulation.

It said the Centre was working with the Police Crime Investigation Department (CID) and other security agencies to identify the sources of message and other false materials being generated.

The public is hereby reminded that production of such information is a crime under Section 115 of the Electronic Transactions Act, 2008 (Act 712) and Section 159 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).

It said the NCSC wishes to draw the attention of the public that circulating such fictitious content breached the law under Section 76 of the Electronic Communications Act, 2008 (Act 775):

"(1) A person who by means of electronic communications service, knowingly sends a communication which is false or misleading and likely to prejudice the efficiency of life saving service or to endanger the safety of any person, ship, aircraft vessel or vehicle commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine of not more than three thousand penalty units or to term of imprisonment of not more than the years or both.

“(2) A person is taken to know that a communication is false or misleading if that person did not take reasonable steps to find out whether the communication was false, misleading, reckless or fraudulent," it stated.

It said law enforcement agencies had therefore been alerted about the ongoing circulation of the audio and offenders would be arrested and prosecuted under the law.

It called on the general public and mainstream media outlets to be on the lookout for false news items and similar fake productions circulating virally with the hope that it would be carried into mainstream media.

“These are common interference tactics especially generated during election seasons globally and we advise the public to report such suspected information or incident in circulation on social media or any digital platform to the National Cyber Security

Centre through the Cybercrime/Cybersecurity Incidents Points of Contact (call or SMS 292),” it said.

It said the Ministry of Communications through the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) was collaborating with the Ministry of Information and other relevant security agencies and were committed to ensuring a safer cyberspace for all Ghanaians.