Three individuals allegedly impersonating the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Christian Tetteh Yohuno, and other prominent personalities on social media have been nabbed by the Cyber Vetting and Enforcement Team.

Gideon Awudi (25), Edem Soku (33), and Judith Soku (31) reportedly defrauded unsuspecting victims by posing as these top officials. They were arrested at Sogakope, Dzodzent, and Penyi after a tip-off.

The suspects allegedly engaged in mobile money fraud, credit card fraud, airtime scams, and online sales fraud through social media platforms. The trio are currently assisting authorities with ongoing investigations.

The arrests come against the backdrop of a worrying rise in cybercrime across the country. In October, the Cyber Security Authority (CSA) announced that Ghana recorded over GH¢19 million in losses to cybercrime between January and September this year, representing a 17 per cent increase compared to the same period last year.

The Authority’s Head of Law Enforcement and Liaison, Colonel George Eduah Bessi, made this revelation during a cybersecurity awareness webinar organised by the Africa Centre for Digital Transformation.

He expressed concern over the growing trend of online crime in Ghana, highlighting the dangers it poses to the economy. Earlier in the year, the authority reported a steep rise in cybercrime, with a record 2,008 cyber incidents, marking a 52 per cent increase from 2024.

He said that among the crimes reported, online fraud was the most prevalent, accounting for about 36 per cent of cases, including mobile money scams, fake investment schemes, and phishing attacks.

Cyberbullying, mostly targeted at women and children, represented 25 per cent of all reported incidents.

Colonel Bessi noted that his outfit has ramped up efforts to create awareness and ensure regulatory compliance among users, urging individuals and businesses to adopt stronger cybersecurity practices.

He commended the Africa Centre for Digital Transformation for its ongoing efforts, stressing that such initiatives are critical to sanitising the digital ecosystem and preventing future threats.

“The rising losses highlight the urgent need for greater cybersecurity awareness across all sectors of Ghana’s digital economy,” he cautioned.

His remarks come on the back of the government’s establishment of a $50 million fund to help fight cybercrime in the country. This was announced by President John Mahama in a speech at the launch of the 2025 National Cyber Security Awareness Month and the inauguration of the Joint Cyber Security Committee at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC) on Wednesday, October 1.

“We are establishing a $50 million FinTech Growth Fund to support Ghanaian innovators in developing digital solutions tailored to our local needs. This initiative is a key pillar of our Reset Ghana agenda, aimed at boosting the digital economy and strengthening our fight against cybercrime,” he said.

He added that the fund forms part of his government’s Reset Ghana agenda, which seeks to build a strong and secure digital system.

“As we expand digital public services and mobile money usage, we must reinforce the systems that safeguard them. This is why under the Reset Ghana agenda, my administration has prioritised digital transformation as a key part of our national development policy. And cybersecurity is at the core of that transformation,” President Mahama said.

The President outlined four flagship digital programmes already underway. These include the One Million Coders Programme, which seeks to train young Ghanaians in software engineering, data analytics, and cybersecurity, and the Digital Jobs Initiative, a public-private partnership aimed at creating sustainable employment opportunities in technology.

He added that the new FinTech Growth Fund will support local start-ups to design financial technology solutions that can serve both Ghana and the wider African market.

“The FinTech Growth Fund will support local start-ups to design financial technology solutions that serve Ghana and can be scaled across the African continent. We are investing in innovation that reflects our realities and empowers our people,” he said.

At the same event, Interior Minister Muntaka Mohammed Mubarak confirmed INTERPOL’s report that 68 suspected cybercriminals had been apprehended by the Cyber Crime Unit of the Ghana Police Service in a joint operation that led to the seizure of more than 800 electronic devices linked to online fraud and other illegal activities.

The Asawase Member of Parliament highlighted the government’s commitment to fighting online crime.

“Our cybercrime units successfully arrested 68 suspected cybercriminals, identified 108 victims, and seized over 885 electronic devices linked to illicit activities,” he said.

“This remarkable achievement underscores the unwavering commitment of the Government of Ghana to safeguarding our digital space, protecting our citizens, and contributing to the global fight against cybercrime.”

He also noted that Ghana’s security services are stepping up cyber intelligence and open-source monitoring efforts to track and neutralise threats before they escalate.

“In this fast-evolving landscape, proactive intelligence gathering and threat monitoring are essential. To this end, the Ghana Police Service is employing cyber intelligence, open-source intelligence techniques, and internal data-sharing platforms to identify, track, and neutralise threats before they escalate,” the Minister stated.

On Thursday, September 26, INTERPOL issued a statement, released on its official website, revealing that the operation dubbed Operation Contender 3.0 and funded by the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office under the African Joint Operation against Cybercrime project—discovered that criminal syndicates caused USD 450,000 in financial losses, with USD 70,000 recovered in cash.

“Ghanaian authorities arrested 68 individuals, seized 835 devices and identified 108 victims. Their investigations revealed USD 450,000 in financial losses, with USD 70,000 recovered,” excerpts of the statement revealed.

According to INTERPOL, the operation targeted criminal networks exploiting social media and dating platforms to carry out romance scams and sextortion.

“The crackdown targeted transnational criminal networks exploiting digital platforms, particularly social media, to manipulate victims and defraud them financially. Specifically, the operation focused on romance scams, where perpetrators build online relationships to extract money from victims, and sextortion, in which victims are blackmailed with explicit images or videos,” the statement said.

INTERPOL further explained: “…For romance scams, the suspects had used fake profiles, forged identities and stolen images to deceive victims. The scammers extracted payments using a range of schemes, including fake courier and customs shipment fees. In sextortion cases, offenders secretly recorded intimate videos during explicit chats and used them for blackmail.”

At the continental level, these syndicates have caused an estimated $2.8 million in losses to 1,463 identified victims. During the operation, police identified IP addresses, digital infrastructure, domains, and social media profiles linked to members of the scam syndicates.

These leads and subsequent arrests also resulted in the seizure of USB drives, SIM cards, and forged documents, as well as the takedown of 81 cybercrime infrastructures across Africa.

The operation, which ran from July 28 to August 11, 2025, resulted in the seizure of 1,235 electronic devices continent-wide.

Acting Executive Director of Police Services at INTERPOL, Cyril Gout, highlighted the growing threat, stating, “Cybercrime units across Africa are reporting a sharp rise in digital-enabled crimes such as sextortion and romance scams. The growth of online platforms has opened new opportunities for criminal networks to exploit victims, causing both financial loss and psychological harm.”

He emphasised that collaboration between INTERPOL, its member countries, and private sector partners like Group-IB and Trend Micro was crucial to the operation’s success, enabling enhanced data sharing and swift enforcement actions that led to the takedown of 81 cybercrime infrastructures.

“The transnational operation was strengthened by collaboration with private sector partners Group-IB and Trend Micro, resulting in enhanced data sharing and operational capabilities. The exchange of INTERPOL cyber activity reports facilitated swift enforcement actions from participating countries, underscoring the value of international cooperation in combating cybercrime,” INTERPOL highlighted.