The Cyber Security Authority (CSA), has reported a significant surge in online blackmail cases, with 226 victims losing GH₵112,209 in the first six months of 2024 with an additional 141 reports filed between March and June.
The cases involve threat actors using social media platforms to initiate friendships lure victims into intimate relationships, secretly record nude video calls, and later use the content for blackmail.
In a statement, the CSA advised people to avoid accepting friend requests from unknown individuals and use strong passwords to protect sensitive data.
“Following the March 2024 alert, in which the Cyber Security Authority (CSA) noted a 254% year-on-year increase in online blackmail cases for the first two months of the year, an additional one hundred and forty-one (141) reports were filed between March and June.
“The two hundred and twenty-six (226) cases recorded so far this year have resulted in a loss of GH¢ 112,209.”
Click here to read the statement by CSA