Over GHC600k Lost In Over 200 Black Friday Online Scams
Ghana has recorded over GHC600,000 in 266 cases of fake Black Friday online shopping fraud from January to October 2025, according to the Cyber Security Authority (CSA).
The Authority anticipates a further surge in online shopping scams, urging citizens to conduct due diligence when shopping online.
As their modus operandi, it said scammers mimic known brands on search engines such as Google and then use optimisation techniques to manipulate search results to list their contact information at the top.
Unsuspecting victims, after engaging these scammers, make advance payments for products or services which they never receive.
“The scammers proceed to block their victims after receiving payments.”
Another method used by scammers is creating online profiles, especially on social media, to sell non-existent goods and services at too-good-to-be-true prices.
After making advance payments to mobile money wallets of the scammers, which usually do not bear the names of the supposed shops, victims are blocked and do not receive what they paid for.
Scammers have also been observed to use phishing Schemes where they trick online shoppers into disclosing sensitive information, such as credit/debit card information or account passwords, by luring them via email, WhatsApp message, or SMS, to click on links that lead to legitimate-looking but fraudulent shopping sites.
The CSA has advised online buyers to check via official websites or reliable sources to validate the contact details of shops/businesses rather than relying solely on search engine results.
“Additionally, check user reviews to verify the reputation of the contact.”
It also suggested that buyers limit shopping to reputable and well-known online stores and exercise caution with unfamiliar shopping sites.
Additionally, they are to exercise caution with phone calls, emails or messages promising deals that seem too good to be true, as well as insist on payment after delivery and inspection of products.
Story by Hajara Fuseini
Click to read more: https://opemsuo.com/author/hajara-fuseini/
