Financial losses from online blackmail and sextortion in Ghana have surged to GH¢499,044 in the first four months of 2025, according to data from the Cyber Security Authority (CSA). This marks a significant jump from the GH¢103,663 recorded during the same period in 2024, highlighting the growing economic impact of increasingly sophisticated cybercriminals. The CSA’s latest public alert noted a slight increase in reported cases between January and April 2025 compared to the 155 cases documented in the same timeframe last year. The perpetrators typically use fake social media accounts, often featuring attractive profile images, to lure victims into romantic conversations. After building trust, they manipulate victims into sharing explicit content, which is then used for extortion. Victims are usually forced to pay ransoms via mobile money under threats that compromising images or videos will be posted online. However, the CSA warns that payments often do not stop the blackmail. In ...