Nearly half of cybersecurity incidents reported in Ghana between January and July 2026 involved online fraud, the Cyber Security Authority (CSA) has disclosed.

The Director‑General of the CSA, Mr Divine Selase Agbeti, said the national Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT‑GH) recorded 3,876 incidents during the period, of which 1,818 cases, representing about 47 per cent, were linked to online fraud.

He made the disclosure at the launch of the 2026 National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM) in Accra on the theme: “Securing Ghana’s Digital Finance Ecosystem: Building Trust Through Collaboration and Cyber Resilience.”

Mr Agbeti said the figures demonstrated the increasing vulnerability of citizens, businesses and institutions to cyber‑enabled crime as digital financial services become more widely adopted.

“Behind each figure is a citizen, family, merchant or institution that may have suffered financial loss, disruption, emotional distress or reputational damage,” he said.

Mr Agbeti noted that while digital finance continued to drive inclusion and growth, the rapid adoption of mobile money, online banking, digital payments and e‑commerce platforms was creating new opportunities for criminals to exploit unsuspecting users.

He said that global and local data suggested digital adoption was accelerating faster than cybersecurity awareness and protective measures, citing findings that many mobile phone users still did not employ basic security measures such as password protection.

Mr Agbeti said the Bank of Ghana’s 2025 Fraud Report reinforced concerns, revealing that reported fraud cases across banks, specialised deposit‑taking institutions and payment service providers increased by 48 per cent, from 16,733 cases in 2024 to 24,778 cases in 2025, with a total value at risk of GH¢101 million.

He said fraud within the payment service provider sector presented the most significant challenge, with electronic fraud incidents rising by 54 per cent and the value at risk increasing by 95 per cent, from GH¢19 million to GH¢37 million.

Describing cybercrime as a direct threat to public confidence in the financial system, Mr Agbeti stressed that trust remained the cornerstone of digital finance.

“Once customers believe that a mobile money wallet can be emptied without recourse, that an online merchant may be fraudulent, that a bank transfer can be diverted, or that personal data can be abused without consequence, confidence erodes,” he stated.

Mr Agbeti warned financial institutions, fintech firms, payment service providers, insurers and merchants against treating cybersecurity merely as a regulatory obligation or an IT issue.

“Cybersecurity cannot remain a compliance exercise done solely for the regulator or a technology project delegated solely to the IT department. It is a board‑level governance obligation and an operational resilience requirement,” he said.

Mr Agbeti urged organisations to strengthen identity and access management systems, implement multi‑factor authentication, conduct regular vulnerability assessments, secure customer information and improve incident response capabilities.

He cautioned that advances in artificial intelligence were making cybercrime more sophisticated through voice cloning, impersonation and social engineering attacks.

Mr Agbeti called for stronger collaboration among regulators, financial institutions, telecommunications operators, law enforcement agencies and the public to combat cyber‑enabled fraud.

He stressed the importance of timely incident reporting, intelligence sharing and coordinated responses, saying criminals often took advantage of delays and weak cooperation among institutions.

Mr Agbetil lauded the role of the media in educating the public and preventing cyber scams, noting that informed reporting could help citizens identify fraudulent schemes and protect themselves.

He urged Ghanaians to remain vigilant, verify suspicious requests, secure online accounts and promptly report incidents.

“No institution should wait to become a victim before taking cybersecurity seriously.

 “Ghana’s digital finance future will be shaped not only by how quickly we innovate, but also by how safely we do so,” he said.