The Cyber Security Authority (CSA) has warned the public about a growing cyber fraud scheme involving online hookups, where criminals lure victims into intimate interactions before using recorded videos to blackmail them.

According to the CSA, some fraudsters operate through social media platforms, including TikTok, where they establish contact with unsuspecting individuals, encourage intimate video calls and secretly record the sessions for extortion.

The Acting Director of Communications, International Cooperation and Strategic Partnership at the CSA, Benjamin Maduro Avornyotse, said the authority has received several reports involving such cases and has worked with the Ghana Police Service to investigate and arrest some suspects.

Speaking in an interview on JoyNews’ The Pulse, Mr Avornyotse explained that perpetrators often threaten to release intimate videos of victims unless they pay specified amounts of money.

He said such acts amount to extortion and are criminal offences under Ghana’s cyber laws.

“We receive reports on all of that. We have carried out a number of arrests in respect of that too because the Act actually frowns on such extortion where people use your intimate videos that you’ve not consented to, to threaten you and, to that extent, ask you to pay certain monies or ransoms,” he said.

Mr Avornyotse urged the public to be cautious when engaging with strangers online, especially where individuals request intimate video calls or personal information.

He advised people not to share private content with individuals they have never met physically, warning that such interactions could expose them to manipulation and financial exploitation.

“If you intend to get into an intimate relationship with someone, I do not know why somebody you’ve not met before, you don’t know where the person stays, you are going on video calls, intimate video calls with them,” he said.

The CSA official said victims of such schemes should report immediately instead of yielding to demands for payment, as paying cybercriminals does not guarantee that the material will not be released.

He explained that the first step taken by the authority when such reports are received is to help victims disengage from the perpetrators while gathering relevant information to support investigations.

“Some of them may not eventually even post the video at all because they actually want money. Some of them would eventually do that. But when you report to us, the first thing we try to do is for you to disengage and not to pay them money,” he said.

Mr Avornyotse added that the CSA also uses technical measures to prevent the distribution of sensitive materials where possible, including processes that can make videos unusable if criminals attempt to share them online.

He, however, encouraged victims to provide complete information when reporting cases, noting that withholding details can make investigations and interventions more difficult.

He cited a case where a victim provided only one of several intimate videos being used for blackmail, making it difficult for authorities to address all the materials before some were eventually circulated online.

The CSA official said the authority continues to collaborate with the Ghana Police Service, including the Cyber Crime Unit, to trace suspects, seize devices and support prosecutions.

He disclosed that several arrests and prosecutions have been recorded through collaborations with local and international law enforcement agencies, adding that the Cyber Security Authority remains central to efforts to combat cyber-related crimes in Ghana.

The CSA is urging the public to exercise greater caution online and report suspected cyber fraud, extortion or blackmail attempts through the appropriate channels for assistance.