Ghana Under Seige Over Online Blackmailing

Dr Antwi Boasiako

 

The Cyber Security Authority (CSA) has announced that over 254% of Online blackmail cases have soared in Ghana in the first two months of the year.

According to the CSA, criminals increasingly use social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok to befriend victims before moving the conversation to WhatsApp, adding that they manipulate individuals into engaging in explicit video calls, which are secretly recorded.

This was contained in a statement, in which CSA explained that the incident is becoming alarming, as figures show that 226 cases were reported between January and June, resulting in financial losses of GHC112,209.

The CSA further explained that the blackmailers initiate unsolicited video calls to capture victims’ faces, which they then use to create fake explicit content, adding that they also share explicit images—often not of themselves—to coax victims into reciprocating, only to later threaten to release the compromising material unless a ransom was paid.

In a statement, the CSA said, “To protect themselves, the public is advised to be cautious of rapidly developing online relationships, particularly those involving requests for intimate content. The CSA strongly recommended against sharing such material.”

Read the statement below:

BY Daniel Bampoe

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