Ghana recorded an estimated $1.3 million in losses from mobile money fraud during the first quarter of 2025, as cybercriminals continue to exploit the country’s growing digital payment ecosystem, according to the latest INTERPOL African Cyberthreat Assessment Report.

The report identified Ghana among African countries facing increasing cases of cyber-enabled financial crimes, with fraudsters targeting mobile money users through various deceptive methods aimed at gaining access to their accounts and funds.

INTERPOL described mobile money fraud as the most common form of online scam reported across Africa, with 97 per cent of countries that participated in its member survey citing it as a significant cybercrime challenge.

The report noted that criminals frequently rely on phishing, SIM-swap attacks, fake promotions and social engineering tactics to defraud victims.

The assessment also highlighted how the expansion of digital financial services has created new avenues for criminals to exploit vulnerabilities in mobile payment systems.

It cited cases where fraudsters intercept one-time passwords, take control of accounts and carry out unauthorised transactions.

Beyond traditional fraud methods, INTERPOL warned that the use of artificial intelligence is making cyber scams more sophisticated, with criminals deploying AI-generated messages, voice cloning and other tools to make their schemes appear more credible.

The international police organisation called for stronger collaboration among law enforcement agencies, financial institutions and telecommunications companies to tackle the growing threat.

It also urged countries to intensify public education campaigns and strengthen cybersecurity systems to safeguard users of digital financial platforms.