Ghanaians are choosing convenience, speed and reliability as many shift from physical cash to digital access to their money. This was revealed in the 2025 KPMG West Africa Banking Industry Customer Experience Survey.

The findings from the survey indicate that use of ATM saw a sharp decline of 16 percent in 2025, down from 34 percent in 2024, underscoring a decisive shift in how Ghanaians access and move money.

Mobile money transactions, on the other hand, surged to 80 percent in the same year, marking the highest level recorded in the last 3 years and the highest level since 2022 and 7 percentage points higher than last year.

According to the report, banks, telcos and fintechs have observed that many customers prefer to transact while considering convenience, speed and reliability over physical access to physical cash provided by ATM now.

Banking apps remain the second most popular way people access their money, but they are under growing pressure as customer usage has declined compared to previous years. Weekly usage dropped from 50% in 2024 to 44%, showing that for the second year in a row, people are turning away from bank apps, likely in favour of mobile money and other alternatives.

This KPMG says has become a major case for concern as bank mobile apps are intended to be the primary digital relationship channel for banks. However, in a swift turn of events, customers have reported improved satisfaction, with ease of use and system availability rising by two points to 81.4 and 80.7, respectively, in 2025.

Also, USSD banking continues to hold its place in Ghana’s banking ecosystem, given its inclusivity, reliability and internet-free feature. The survey reports that about 26 percent of respondents use USSD weekly, particularly to check bank balances, make airtime purchases, and fund transfers.

In addition, while ATMs are seemingly fading out; loosing its relevance to digital alternatives, KPMG notes that they have not disappeared entirely as customers still visit them for occasional cash needs, adding that it remains among the top three monthly channels for Millennial customers.

Overall, the digital trends emerging from the survey point to a clear and urgent reality: customers are no longer impressed by the number of channels available; they are rewarding the few that work best. Convenience, reliability, security and transparency now define digital excellence.

CSA warn MoMo users about Whatsapp malware campaign

Meanwhile, the Cyber Security Authority issued a public alert warning of a malware campaign that targeted WhatsApp Web users on Windows computers, with the potential to compromise banking and other sensitive financial information.

The Authority said the attack was aimed at spreading a banking malware known as Astaroth, which exploited the trust and widespread use of WhatsApp to deceive users into downloading malicious files, exposing individuals and organisations to serious financial risks.

In a statement released on its official Facebook page, the Cyber Security Authority explained that the malware took advantage of the popularity of WhatsApp to lure victims into opening harmful files.

“The malware takes advantage of the popularity and trust people place in WhatsApp to trick users into downloading malicious files. Once installed, it is capable of stealing banking details, login credentials, and other sensitive data, putting both individuals and organisations at serious financial risk,” the statement said.

According to the Authority, the attack usually began when victims received malicious ZIP files through WhatsApp messages. These files were often disguised as legitimate documents or shared content, encouraging users to download and open them. Once the ZIP file was extracted and executed on a Windows device, the Astaroth malware was installed.

The Authority noted that after installation, the malware secretly connected to WhatsApp Web, retrieved the victim’s contact list and automatically sent similar malicious messages to all contacts, enabling the malware to spread without the user’s knowledge.

It added that the malware operated in the background to harvest sensitive information, including banking login credentials, one-time passwords (OTPs), browser cookies and keystrokes. This stolen data could then be used to gain unauthorised access to financial accounts, commit fraud and support other criminal activities.

As part of its recommendations, the Cyber Security Authority urged users to be cautious when downloading or opening ZIP files or unexpected attachments received via WhatsApp, even if they appeared to come from known contacts. It cautioned that files requesting urgent action or downloads were common social engineering tactics used by cybercriminals.

Users were also advised to regularly check active WhatsApp Web sessions and log out of any unfamiliar ones, avoid leaving WhatsApp Web signed in on shared or public computers, and keep Windows operating systems and installed applications updated with the latest security patches. The Authority further encouraged the use of reputable and up-to-date endpoint security software capable of detecting and blocking malware.

The Cyber Security Authority advised the public to report cyber incidents to the Cybersecurity/Cybercrime Incident Reporting Point of Contact for assistance by calling or texting 292, sending a WhatsApp message to 0501603111, or emailing report@csa.gov.gh.