The Cyber Security Authority (CSA) has issued an alert, warning Ghanaians about the increasing rate of romance scams in the country.

The latest tactics see people set up fake profiles on social media - especially dating apps, or sending unsolicited emails to establish intimate relationships with their targets.

Experts say fraudsters often do extensive research on victims through their social media habits. Once they gain their trust, they then exploit the victims for valuables such as money, property or investment.

They also take advantage of the person's vulnerabilities, such as loneliness or feeling of insecurity, and try as much as possible to avoid physical met up.

To this end, the authorities are advising the public not to provide financial assistance to someone they have only met online.

They should also avoid sharing personal information or nude photographs with someone they have never met physically.

Last month, a Ghanaian musician and influencer, Mona Montrage, popularly known as Hajia4Real, was arrested and extradited from the UK to the US to face trial on allegations of romance fraud.

She has since pleaded not guilty.