Interior Minister Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka has asserted that the Ghana Police Service has strengthened its control over mobile money (MoMo) fraud and cases of online extortion.
He said, recent reforms, stronger enforcement, and use of technology are helping reduce the scale and impunity of these crimes.
The Ghana Police Service is stepping up efforts to combat mobile money fraud and cybercrime, with measures highlighted by Muntaka Mohammed Mubarak.
Among them is the rollout of body cameras for officers, with 800 already in use and more than 30,000 expected to follow, aimed at curbing misconduct, extortion, and harassment while enhancing transparency.
The Cybercrime Unit of the CID has also been decentralised, with trained staff deployed across all 25 regional police commands to boost digital forensics capacity against MoMo fraud and online scams.
The police have issued repeated public alerts on evolving fraud tactics, including fake credit notifications, social engineering, and “smishing.” Arrests and joint operations have also targeted criminals preying on MoMo vendors, including suspects linked to the killing of a vendor in Aflao.
Yet significant challenges persist. Fraudsters continue to refine their schemes, exploiting system loopholes and user vulnerabilities.
Victims often struggle to recover stolen funds due to investigative delays and difficulties in tracing transactions across networks.
While decentralisation has improved reach, resource and capacity gaps remain in some regions, and coordination with telcos, agents, and regulators is uneven.
Alarmingly, MoMo fraud operations have even been traced to prison facilities such as Nsawam, underscoring the persistence of the threat.
Analysts say the reforms represent credible progress, particularly in oversight and enforcement, but stress that social engineering remains a central vulnerability beyond police control.
Stronger system integration between law enforcement, telecoms, fintechs, and regulators is seen as crucial, alongside faster redress for victims and improved transaction traceability.
Source: myxyzonlin.com/J.W. Quarm
