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The Head of Cyber Security Technology Standards, Jake France, at the Cyber Security Authority (CSA), has announced that Ghana lost GH¢19 million between January and September 2025 in cyber-related crime.
According to Jake France, there has been an increase in cybercrime cases with the surge in online blackmail and sexual extortion.
Speaking at the International Conference on Information Systems and Emerging Technologies on Monday, October 27, Jake France stated, “The rising connectivity has been accompanied by increasing cyber threats.
Between January and March 2025, CSA recorded 305 cases of online fraud, up from 194 in the same period last year. The financial losses in that span grew from about 2.4 million to 4.4 million Ghana cedis,” he said.
He further highlighted, “Losses from online blackmail and sextortion have also surged, 155 incidents in the first four months of 2025, with financial damage approaching 500,000 Ghana cedis, nearly five times the amount recorded during the same period in 2024.
From January to September 2025, the CSA recorded a total cybercrime-related financial loss of 19,313,000,” he stated.
The CSA also cautioned that emerging technologies such as robotics, blockchain, and cloud computing continue to drive innovation and opportunity; however, exposure to cyber risks is essential to promote secure and ethical technology adoption.
The news comes at a time when the Cyber Security Authority (CSA) are asking Ghanaians for their input to shape the country’s digital defences as the government launches a public review of its proposed cybersecurity update.
“We need laws that match the speed of digital innovation,” the CSA noted.
However, the Cyber Security Authority (CSA), designed to provide technical oversight and promote digital safety, has now ignited debate on social media, with Ghanaians arguing that it could now act as an armed enforcement body capable of conducting arrests, searches, and seizures without traditional police oversight.
Netizens argue that the bill could lead to abuse of power, intimidation of opponents and critics, and the suppression of online views under the guise of cybersecurity enforcement.
The Communication Minister, Sam George, has come under intense criticism following the proposed amended Cybersecurity Act, 1038.
The CSA amendment bill seeks to gain sweeping control over Ghana’s cyberspace and also impose a 30% levy on industry players.
Many Ghanaians have criticised the bill, arguing that the CSA, which seeks to protect Ghanaians, rather poses a significant threat to Ghana’s digital security landscape. According to the netizen, the CSA is the most dangerous bill Ghana has ever drafted, which quietly gives the CSA power to arrest, freeze assets, and access your data, all in the name of “cybersecurity”.