President John Dramani Mahama has issued a stern warning to cybercrime perpetrators in Ghana, cautioning that those apprehended will be extradited abroad for trial and punished under the law.
The President gave the warning in Accra on Wednesday, October 1, 2025, during the launch of the National Cyber Security Awareness Month.
He stressed that cybercrime activities—particularly romance scams and mobile money fraud—had grown increasingly sophisticated, threatening national security, the economy, and livelihoods.
Mr. Mahama also revealed that insiders in financial institutions had been implicated in some schemes and were sanctioned once discovered.
“Anybody involved in romance scams, whether you are a foreigner or a Ghanaian citizen, we will hand you over to be tried and punished accordingly,” the President declared.
His remarks followed Operation Contender 3.0, an INTERPOL-led crackdown that dismantled cybercrime networks across Africa between July 28 and August 11, 2025. The operation resulted in 260 arrests across 14 countries, including 68 suspects in Ghana. Authorities also seized 835 devices such as SIM cards, forged documents, and USB drives.
According to INTERPOL, Ghana recorded 108 victims with losses amounting to $450,000, of which about $70,000 has already been recovered.
The global operation targeted romance scams and sextortion rackets exploiting social media and dating platforms. Investigators said fraudsters in Ghana used fake profiles with stolen images, demanding payments under false pretenses such as courier or customs fees. In sextortion cases, victims were secretly recorded during explicit video chats and later blackmailed.
Overall, the crackdown disrupted cybercrime operations linked to $2.8 million in global losses, with 1,463 victims identified and 81 criminal digital infrastructures dismantled.
