The Cyber Security Authority (CSA) has raised an alarm about fraudulent links circulating on social media, falsely claiming to offer cash prizes or giveaways from presidential candidates.
These deceptive schemes lure users into sharing personal information in exchange for answering simple questions.
The CSA has warned that these links are crafted by cybercriminals with the intention of harvesting sensitive data for future attacks.
It urged the public to ignore such messages and refrain from sharing any personal details.
It also advised individuals to verify the sender of any suspicious messages and avoid clicking on unsolicited links, especially those associated with political parties or candidates.
The CSA also encouraged individuals to report any incidents of cybercrime to help combat these fraudulent activities.
In a flyer the CSA noted “The public is hereby warned of malicious links in circulation on social media requesting users to answer simple questions and provide personal information to receive funds/giveaways from political candidates. These links have solely been set up to harvest the data of citizens for further attacks”.
Earlier this year, the CSA reported 194 online fraud cases between January and March 2024, resulting in financial losses totaling approximately GH¢2,404,161.
The CSA explains that cybercriminals often create fake online shops or impersonate legitimate businesses on social media, offering goods at unrealistically low prices.
They also generate fraudulent business profiles or listings on platforms like Google Maps, using search engine optimization techniques to manipulate search results and divert inquiries to their own contact information instead of legitimate businesses.
Once victims engage and make payments typically to mobile money wallets the scammers block further communication, and the promised goods are never delivered.
Additionally, malicious actors often send unsolicited emails or messages, claiming to be from a romantic interest or a company offering seasonal deals, further deceiving the public.
“These messages contain links or attachments that when clicked, install malicious software (malware), or steal personal information,” the Cyber Security Authority.
The Authority therefore cautioned the general public to be aware of unsolicited messages offering exciting or “too good to be true” deals.
“Use a reputable online marketplace or retailer when purchasing items or gifts. Consider reviews and customer feedback before making an online purchase. Search engines can be manipulated to show misleading results. Check on the official website or with reliable sources to validate the contact details of the shop you are searching for.
Deputy Attorney, General Alfred Tuah-Yeboah has reiterated that the plea bargaining system will not be a refuge for criminals.
This framework allows individuals facing charges to negotiate for lesser charges, reduced penalties, or the withdrawal of charges before a final verdict.
During a training session for prosecuting attorneys, he highlighted that those accused of serious offences—such as sexual crimes and election-related violations—will not benefit from plea bargaining.
“The guidelines should not be an excuse or should not be used as a springboard for the evasion of justice. And to the public, the application of the Plea Bargaining Act shouldn’t be seen as an attempt to undermine justice.
“In appropriate cases where we need to apply the law, the law will be applied. In cases where we cannot apply the law, the law will not be applied.
“And so as you take the guidelines back to your regions, stick to the guidelines so well, make sure those who deserve the benefit of the guidelines get it. Those who do not deserve it, don’t give it to them.
“And to the criminals out there, if you think that by launching these guidelines, you are going to just commit crimes and go clean the net, be on notice, the plea bargaining act will not be used as a shield for criminals to perpetuate their wrongful activities.”
The CEO and founder of Yunga, a neighborhood digital security network that improves neighbor-to-neighbour safety, is the Ugandan Anatoli Kirigwajjo. He just received “The Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation,” which is intended to foster the innovation of Africans.
Through a physical gadget, smartphone app, or SMS service, Yunga connects neighbors to one another and to police within a 20-kilometer radius, offering security at a reasonable price.
The Royal Academy of Engineering in the UK established the award, which is given following an eight-month training and mentoring period.
“I developed Yunga after losing $1,300 worth of assets in a break-in, with little chance of the thieves being caught. We hope that with our household networks, communities will become harder targets for criminals. This will ensure safety, which in turn will create the space for economic activities to thrive,” says Mr Kirigwajjo.
Over 180 instances of neighborhood crime have already been stopped because to Yunga, and they intend to expand to other African markets including Ghana, Kenya, and Nigeria.
New information about Jack Teixeira’s access to classified documents, his military career, and the sequence of events leading up to his arrest on April 13 has been revealed by the criminal charges brought against him. Teixeira is suspected of leaking vital US defense documents.
A 21-year-old Massachusetts Air National Guard member named Mr. Teixeira is currently charged with one count each of “unauthorized retention and transmission of national defense information” and “unauthorized removal and retention of classified documents or material.”
Together, the charges carry a maximum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment.
The documents, which were reportedly shared to an online gaming chatroom, included detailed information about the war in Ukraine, as well as US intelligence regarding other allies and adversaries across the globe.
While US officials have so far not provided details about the investigation and the scope of the leak, court documents filed on Friday offer a glimpse into Mr Teixeira’s life and how the leak is alleged to have taken place.
This is what the charging document says.
Documents first posted in December
The criminal complaint against Mr Teixeira includes an affidavit written by an FBI special agent who specialises in counter-intelligence and espionage matters.
In the affidavit, FBI Special Agent Patrick Lueckenhoff says an individual using a username later linked to Mr Teixeira through payment records began posting what appeared to be classified information in December 2022.
The posts were made on a Discord chat server devoted to the discussion of geopolitical affairs, the affidavit says.
In January, the affidavit says photographs of documents which “contained what appeared to be classification markings on official US government documents” were posted.
An unnamed social media user, identified only as User 1, told the FBI that one of the documents posted in the initial tranche “described the status of the Russia-Ukraine” conflict, including troop movements on a particular day.
The affidavit describes the document as “based on sensitive US intelligence, gathered through classified sources and methods”.
Its “top secret” classification meant that its disclosure could cause “exceptionally grave damage” to national security, the affidavit notes.
User 1 also told the FBI that Mr Teixeira said he had “become concerned that he may be discovered making the transcriptions of text in the workplace, so he began taking the documents to his residence and photographing them”.
Photographs of some of the leaked documents reviewed by BBC News appear to have been taken at a residential address. In several, a kitchen countertop and floor tiles are clearly visible, while in others various personal items can be seen on a desk.
Watch: How damaging are 21-year-old Jack Teixeira’s US intelligence leaks?
Mr Teixeira had ‘top secret’ clearance
The court documents show that Mr Teixeira enlisted in the Air National Guard in September 2019. He is currently an E-3/airman first class – a relatively low rank – and as of February was listed as a “Cyber Defense Operations Journeyman”.
In 2021, he was granted a “top secret” security clearance. The same year, he was also given “sensitive compartmented access” to other classified US government programmes.
Image caption,The leak suspect reportedly began sharing photographs of classified files in January
To get this clearance, he would have been required to sign a lifetime, binding non-disclosure agreement “in which he would have had to acknowledge that unauthorised disclosure of protected information could result in criminal charges”.
Mark Zaid, a national security lawyer who frequently works on cases involving classified information, told BBC News it would not be unusual for someone as young as Mr Teixeira to have access to classified documents such as the ones that were leaked online.
“There are a lot of people that age who have access to classified information, particularly in the National Guard,” Mr Zaid said. “The issue is more of why did he have access to documents that he likely had no need to know.”
As an airman assigned to cyber transport systems, Mr Teixeira’s work meant that he was responsible for helping operate the Air Force’s global communications network.
Mr Zaid said that this role would have given Mr Teixeira access to the Joint Worldwide Intelligence Communications System, or JWICS, which he described as a “library of information” regarding US intelligence.
A search for the word ‘leak’
The criminal complaint also alleges Mr Teixeira used his government computer to search for intelligence reporting for the word “leak” on 6 April – the same day as the first public reporting about the leak.
“Accordingly, there is reason to believe that Teixeira was searching for classified reporting regarding the US intelligence community’s assessment of the identity of the individual who transmitted classified national defense information,” the document adds.
Charged under the Espionage Act
The charges also show that Mr Teixeira’s criminal charge stems, in part, from the Espionage Act.
Specifically, his first charge is under a statute that calls for a prison term of up to 10 years – as well as fines – for anyone who “copies, takes, makes or obtains or attempts to copy, take, make or obtain” a variety of government documents.
This information, the statute notes, “could be used to the injury of the United States of to the advantage of any foreign nation”.
Bono Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kwame Baffor Abronye DC, claims that his criticism of the investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas’ journalistic approach has been vindicated.
Abronye said in a Facebook comment that Anas’ defamation lawsuit against Kennedy Agyapong was dismissed by the Accra High Court was proof of his long-held conviction that Anas was a blackmailer and a criminal.
He posted a 2019 online story in which he criticised the journalist over selective publication of damning investigations he had done on the former government.
The caption of his post read: “On the 8th March, 2019 I mentioned that Anas is a blackmailer and that he has been collecting huge sums of money to Bury investigations. He buried an investigation he did at Parliament between 2014 -15 after negotiating with John Mahama because the piece implicated several NDC MP’s who were ministers then.
“Today, I have been vindicated by the court. Anas has destroyed a lot of families with his wicked activities under the guise of journalism.
“We can’t let things slide like this. All persons who have been destroyed by Anas also deserve justice. Ghana has no space for criminals and blackmailer like Anas.”
Anas vs. Ken Agyapong defamation case
An Accra High Court on Wednesday, March 15, 2023, struck out a defamation suit brought by investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas against Assin Central Member of Parliament, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong.
The plaintiff, filed the case in 2018, seeking among other reliefs monetary damages to the tune of GH¢25 million.
However, the court presided by Justice Eric Baah despite finding various claims made by the defendant against the plaintiff as potentially defamatory, ruled that the comments were factual and fair.
The court subsequently dismissed the suit and awarded the defendant a sum of 50,000 Ghana cedis to cover his legal costs.
The MP has subsequently referred to the ruling as a victory for straight talk over investigative terrorism.
The journalist also expressed grave misgivings about the ruling describing it in part as a travesty of justice. He, has also confirmed that his legal team will file an appeal, stressing that his fight against corruption will continue unabated.
Gambian protesters are assembling to protest against corruption through the capital Banjul after a youth group affiliated with the main opposition party called for a demonstration.
Lawyer Ousainu Darboe, the leader of the United Democratic Party (UDP), in a WhatsApp audio had earlier called on supporters to be peaceful ahead of a corruption demonstration slated for Friday.
The UDP Youth Wing recently applied for a police permit for a peaceful procession against corruption. This came after several corruption allegations were reported about government institutions and other local government councils.
Lawyer Darboe called on Gambians to be part of the peaceful demonstration starting from Jah oil in Banjul to the National Assembly in Banjul.
He pointed out that when this kind of activity happens, some criminals always want to capitalise on the occasion to get involved in the crowd and act unlawfully and be destructive. However, the UDP leader said they would be very vigilant to those people while calling on the police to also help in identifying such criminals.
The country’s biggest opposition leader emphasised that everyone knows that UDP is a law-abiding party, calling on the party militants to follow the rule of law, ignore insults and other confrontations.
“I call on Gambians who are concerned about corruption to join us, especially the UDP supporters,” he added. “The demonstration will start from 11 a.m to 2 pm. Everyone should come out to show their concerns on corruption.”
Officials of the Ghana Police Service have arrested three(3) people for illegal possession of firearms.
The intelligence-led operation was conducted at Tema Community 25 and Dansoman on February 21, 2022, which led to the retrieval of some weapons and ammunition.
Tema Community 25 led to the arrest of suspect Abdul Razak, aged 46 years, for possessing a firearm without lawful authority.
Police retrieved an AK47 assault rifle, 90 rounds of live AK47 ammunition, 4 rounds of 17mm ammunition, a machete and a rubber pistol in a search at his hideout.
In a separate intelligence-led operation in Dansoman, suspects Hamza Yakubu and Mubarak Yakubu were also arrested.
A search conducted on them led to the retrieval of one pump action gun and a pistol.
All three suspects have since been put before the court.
A Criminologist Edgar Tachie Akunnor has underscored the need for the criminal department of the Ghana Police Service to be well resourced to ensure efficiency in their work.
The lecturer says we have a police institution that is doing their best but lack the needed resources to achieve greater results.
He adds in the current space of crime and its related activities, new approaches have evolved and our security agencies should be prepared to meet the new trends.
Investigation into issues he said has changed with the digital space taking center stage.
He indicated that in criminal matters like murder, you need strong evidence that is incontrovertible considering the punishment for it.
He was also worried about how people tamper with evidence in dealing with criminal matters in the country.
Mr. Akunnor further added that it would be important for our police service to be resourced so that beyond the criminal aspects of their investigations, they would also look at the psychology behind these crimes.
He said it is not always that the police are slow in dealing with crimes but they lack the needed resources on probing criminal cases.
He was reacting to the verdict reached by an American court over the murder trial of George Floyd and why Ghana cannot deal with similar cases expeditiously.
He said if we need to move ahead, then we need the resources and training.
A top-secret communications system used by criminals to trade drugs and guns has been “successfully penetrated”, says the National Crime Agency.
The NCA worked with forces across Europe on the UK’s “biggest and most significant” law enforcement operation.
Major crime figures were among over 800 Europe-wide arrests after messages on EncroChat were intercepted and decoded.
More than two tonnes of drugs, several dozen guns and £54m in suspect cash have been seized, says the NCA.
While the NCA was part of the investigation, it was initiated and led by French and Dutch police, and also involved Europol – the EU agency for law enforcement cooperation.
Wil van Gemert, deputy executive director of Europol, told a press conference in the Hague that the hacking of the network had allowed the “disruption of criminal activities including violent attacks, corruption, attempted murders and large-scale drug transports”.
The NCA says the Europe-wide operation, which lasted over three months and involved police forces across the UK, has had the biggest impact on organised crime gangs it has ever seen.
The Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Dame Cressida Dick, whose force made 171 of the 746 UK arrests and seized £13.3m in cash, described it as a “game changer”.
She said: “This is just the beginning. We will be disrupting organised criminal networks as a result of these operations for weeks and months and possibly years to come.”
Nikki Holland, NCA director of investigations, said the operational team had described it “as akin to cracking the enigma code”.
“They see this as that significant in terms of getting that inside information, effectively having a person inside an organised crime group telling us what they’re up to,” she said.
‘Criminal marketplace’ An estimated 60,000 people, among them up to 10,000 in Britain, subscribed to France-based EncroChat, which has now been taken down.
The system operated on customised Android phones and, according to its website, provided “worry-free secure communications”.
Customers had access to features such as self-destructing messages that deleted from the recipient’s device after a certain length of time.
There was also panic wipe, where all the data on the device could be deleted by entering a four-digit code from the lock-screen.
The NCA says the messaging system has been used as a “criminal marketplace” to co-ordinate the supply of Class A drugs across the world, and import weapons including assault rifles, sub-machine guns, shotguns, pistols and hand grenades.
Law enforcement agencies began getting data from the site on 1 April after the encryption code is believed to have been cracked in March.
Gangs are also believed to have used the handheld devices to plot attacks on rival groups, plan ways of enforcing drug debts and arrange for money to be laundered.
Threats to life detailed on the site included acid attacks and threats to chop off limbs.
Dozens of organised crime groups have been dismantled, says the NCA, with the bulk of arrests in London and north-west England.
Lockdown “worked in our favour”, says the agency, in that many more suspects were at home when they were raided.
Many of those arrested are said to form the “middle tier” of crime gangs while some are described as the “Mr and Mrs Bigs” of the underworld.
In London, those targeted in the Met operation, codenamed “Eternal”, are alleged to include members of “high-harm” organised crime networks with longstanding links to violent crime and drug dealing.
Dame Cressida said: “These people are in business to make enormous amounts of money. Many of them lead a very respectable lifestyle – and definitely a high-end lifestyle in fancy houses with big cars going to… clubs and restaurants, splashing the cash sometimes, but sometimes being very discreet about it.”
The Met said that earlier this month, its detectives identified a plot by an international drugs and firearms gang to shoot dead a member of a rival network.
According to the force, it managed to prevent the shooting by arresting an individual for conspiracy to murder and seizing a loaded pistol, which was believed to be the planned murder weapon.
