TikTok has emerged as the leading platform associated with reported scam activities in Ghana, according to a new report by TrustGH, a scam verification and reporting platform.
The company says it has identified more than 6,000 telephone numbers linked to suspected fraudulent activities in the country through community reports and open-source intelligence (OSINT) investigations carried out by its team of certified cybersecurity professionals.
In a press release, TrustGH said its findings highlight the changing nature of digital fraud in Ghana, with scammers increasingly using social media platforms, messaging applications, online business directories, telecommunications networks and fake websites to target individuals and businesses.
The analysis found that about 50 per cent of the scam numbers reported to the platform were associated with TikTok, making it the single largest source of reported scam activity in its database. SMS and WhatsApp also featured prominently, while other cases were linked to Facebook, Google Business Profiles, phone calls and fraudulent websites.
TrustGH said many of the scams identified do not depend on sophisticated hacking techniques but instead rely heavily on “social engineering” to deceive victims.
Fraudsters reportedly impersonate trusted personalities and institutions, including bank officials, government representatives, company executives, police officers, financial agents, recruitment officers and genuine business owners, in an attempt to gain the confidence of their targets.
After establishing trust, the scammers may pressure victims to send money, provide one-time passwords (OTPs), disclose Mobile Money credentials or share other sensitive information.
TrustGH noted that victims can suffer financial losses or have their accounts compromised even when fraudsters do not gain direct technical access to their devices.
According to the report, more than 90 per cent of the scam cases analysed involved attempts to receive Mobile Money payments or obtain unauthorised access to victims’ Mobile Money accounts.
The platform identified several common forms of fraud, including Mobile Money scams, financial impersonation, fake online shops, fraudulent Google Business Profiles, fake recruitment offers, prize and lottery scams, social media fraud, suspicious phone calls and “phishing” attempts aimed at stealing passwords, OTPs, authentication credentials and other sensitive information.
TrustGH described the dominance of Mobile Money-related scams as a major cybersecurity concern, particularly because of the widespread reliance on mobile financial services in Ghana.
By: Prince Martey-Sogar