Ghanaians in the first quarter of 2025 alone lost an estimated $1.3 million to mobile money fraud, underscoring the growing threat of cyber-enabled financial crime across the country, according to a new INTERPOL report.
The INTERPOL African Cyber threat Assessment Report 2026 cites Ghana as one of the countries grappling with rising mobile money fraud, noting that the losses came as cyber criminals increasingly exploited digital payment platforms to target unsuspecting users.
The report describes mobile money fraud as Africa’s most widespread online scam, with 97% of countries responding to INTERPOL’s member country survey identifying it as a major cybercrime threat. Criminals commonly use phishing, SIM-swap attacks, fake promotions and social engineering techniques to gain access to victims’ mobile wallets and steal funds.
“Mobile money fraud has emerged as the most prevalent online scam reported by member countries,” the report said, warning that the rapid growth of digital financial services has created new opportunities for cyber criminals.
The report highlights Kenya as another country heavily affected by the trend, where authorities detected more than 123,000 fraudulent SIM cards in 2025 that were linked to SIM-swap fraud. It says criminals increasingly exploit weaknesses in mobile payment ecosystems to intercept one-time passwords, hijack customer accounts and conduct unauthorized transactions.
Fraudsters are using AI-generated messages, voice cloning and other social engineering techniques to deceive victims into revealing sensitive financial information or authorising fraudulent transactions.
The report calls for stronger cooperation between law enforcement agencies, financial institutions and telecommunications companies to combat the growing threat.
It also urges countries to strengthen public awareness campaigns and improve cybersecurity measures to protect users of digital financial services.
