By: Rebecca Ampah
Cybersecurity Expert, David Gyedu, has expressed concern about the growing wave of cyber threats in Ghana, describing the situation as “very alarming.” Speaking on the ‘GTV Breakfast Show’, he explained that every mobile phone user, social media user, or mobile money subscriber is now a target.
“When you pick up your mobile phone, you go on social media, or you make a mobile money transaction that is cyberspace. And today, the threats there are alarming,” he said.
According to Gyedu, the rapid growth of artificial intelligence (AI) and the misuse of social media have opened new doors for scammers and hackers. He stressed that the financial technology sector is under siege. “Now they don’t come after us with machetes and guns. They are behind mobile phones, finding ways to scam.”
He outlined several cyber risks facing individuals in Ghana, including mobile money fraud and SIM cloning, romance and investment scams powered by AI, cryptocurrency and forex fraud, voice cloning, fake banking apps, and social media account hijacks.
On mobile money fraud, he explained that scammers now impersonate businesses online to trick people into entering their PINs. “A KNUST student lost GH₵21,000 this way when she only intended to pay GH₵210,” he revealed.
He further cautioned that AI-powered deepfakes are being used to blackmail unsuspecting victims. “Even if it’s not you, they can create fake intimate content and threaten to broadcast it. Fake news travels fast; by the time the truth comes, nobody wants to hear it.”
Businesses are also at risk. Gyedu warned that organisations face ransomware, supply chain infiltration, and email compromise. “Just imagine at GBC, all your archives are hacked, encrypted, and you’re asked to pay to get them back. That is happening to organisations,” he said.
To guard against these threats, Gyedu urged Ghanaians to take personal responsibility for their digital safety. He advised the use of strong, unique passwords, enabling multi-factor authentication, exercising caution with links and downloads, and always securing mobile phones with passwords.
“Your phone holds your bank and mobile money. Not having a password on your phone is high treason against yourself,” he cautioned.
He concluded with a clear reminder: “There’s no police officer behind your phone or mobile money wallet. You must be your own police officer in your digital space.”
