Organised Crime Index says cybercrime is holding back Ghana's digital sector

Pinned summary · as of 15:50

A rise in online crime is dragging on Ghana's expanding digital economy and slowing the uptake of technology, according to the Global Organised Crime Index. The index says businesses and individuals have been hit increasingly hard, particularly since the COVID-19 period.

What we know

• The Global Organised Crime Index says a surge in cyber-dependent crime is damaging Ghana's growing digital sector and discouraging the adoption of technology.
• The index links the increase in such crime to the COVID-19 period, with both firms and individuals affected.
• It also says organised groups deploy malware to get at personal data and steal money from people and companies.
• According to the index, Ghanaian businesses suffer botnet and crypto-miner attacks at a rate above the average.

What's disputed / unconfirmed

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  MyJoyOnline reported the index as saying criminals play on victims' fears and insecurities, and that the attacks hamper economic growth and worry Ghanaian businesses operating abroad; Chale News does not carry these points.
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  Chale News reported that the Cyber Security Authority logged 352 cases of online investment scams between January and June 2026, with losses of GH₵3.4 million; no other report carries these figures.

Why it matters for Ghana

Mobile money users, online shoppers and small firms in Accra, Kumasi and beyond are the people most exposed to malware and online fraud. If businesses lose money or trust to cyber attacks, they may hold back from digital services that the country is trying to expand. The scam losses cited by the Cyber Security Authority show what individual victims can lose.