Author: Amanda Cartey

The Cyber Security Authority (CSA) has raised concerns over a sharp rise in cases of online blackmail and sextortion in Ghana.

According to a statement released on Friday, May 2, 2025, the CSA recorded 155 cases between January and April 2024, with victims losing a total of GH¢103,663.

However, during the same period in 2025, the number of cases surged, and the financial losses ballooned to GH¢499,044.

The CSA is urging the public to remain vigilant and take necessary precautions to protect themselves online.

“The Cyber Security Authority (CSA) has reported an increase in financial losses linked to online blackmail and sextortion. The CSA recorded 155 reported cases between January and April 2024, with associated losses of GH¢103,663.

“An updated analysis covering January to April 2025 indicates a slight increase in reported cases but a significant rise in financial losses, reaching GH¢499,044. The data points to increasingly sophisticated methods being employed by cybercriminals and highlights the growing economic impact of such incidents”, it noted.

It further revealed that the actors use social media to lure their victims.

“After gaining the victim’s trust, they initiate explicit video calls or solicit private photos. These sessions are secretly recorded or saved without the victim’s consent.

“They then threaten to release the compromising materials unless a ransom is paid, usually via mobile money. In some cases, even after payment is made, the threats continue or escalate”, it stated.

To combat this growing menace, the CSA advised the public to keep their social media accounts private and avoid storing sensitive content on their devices.

“Avoid sharing intimate content with strangers online, even if they seem trustworthy. Keep social media accounts private, and limit who can view your content.

“Avoid capturing or storing nude images or videos of yourself on any device. Immediately cease all communication with the threat actors should you fall victim. Do not pay any ransom, it encourages repeated demands and does not guarantee deletion of the content. Preserve all evidence, take screenshots, record usernames, URLs, messages, and payment demand”, it added.

The headmistress of Chemu Senior High School, Vicentia Annin-Agyei, has raised concerns about the infrastructure challenges the school is facing and how it affects students.

She described the struggle many students face in finding accommodation close to the school due to the lack of proper facilities.

“Coming and commuting from home, some of our students are forced to look for homes nearby and rent, just to be able to come to school. This also poses another challenge,” she explained.

Additionally, she pointed out the troubling reality that some students resort to living with their boyfriends and girlfriends.

“Some of them are even living with their boyfriends and girlfriends. We have that challenge,” Mrs. Annin-Agyei shared.

The headmistress clarified that these students do not choose this path willingly, but are rather forced into it by circumstances. “Some are forced into that situation, not that they intended to be in that situation, but the situation has called for that,” she said.

Further elaborating on the school’s struggles, Mrs. Annin-Agyei noted that as a transitional school, Chemu SHS cannot accommodate all its students at once due to the limited infrastructure. “As a transitional school, when we say transitional, it means that the whole year group is not in school at the same time,” she said. “There is always one year group out, and two year groups in. It is transitional because the facilities we have are not enough to cater for all our students,” she added.

In conclusion, she urged authorities to address the infrastructure issues to alleviate the challenges faced by students. “We would urge that we address these issues first, so that at least we can curb some of these challenges,” she concluded.