Mobile money users in Ghana lost an estimated US$1.3 million to fraud during the first quarter of 2025, according to the INTERPOL African Cyberthreat Assessment Report 2026.
The report identifies mobile money fraud as one of Africa’s most widespread cyber threats, with 97% of participating countries reporting scams targeting mobile money platforms. It notes that the losses recorded in Ghana reflect the increasing sophistication of cybercriminals exploiting digital payment systems.
INTERPOL also found that 55% of cybercrime cases recorded across Africa in 2025 involved artificial intelligence (AI). According to the report, criminals are increasingly using AI to generate convincing phishing messages, create deepfake audio and video, impersonate trusted individuals and automate online scams, making cyberattacks more difficult to detect.
The findings come just months after President John Dramani Mahama launched Ghana’s National Artificial Intelligence Strategy, backed by a US$270 million investment to position the country as an AI-enabled economy by 2035.
At the launch in April 2026, President Mahama said Ghana would not become “a passive consumer” of artificial intelligence but would actively develop, govern and deploy the technology to drive innovation, economic growth and national transformation.
The strategy includes the establishment of a National AI Computing Centre, a National AI Office to coordinate implementation, a National AI Fund to support research and innovation, expanded AI skills development, stronger research and innovation ecosystems, and responsible AI governance.
The INTERPOL report suggests these pillars could also strengthen Ghana’s cyber resilience. The proposed National AI Computing Centre could support the development of AI-powered tools capable of detecting phishing attacks, mobile money fraud, ransomware and deepfake content. The National AI Office could coordinate responses to emerging AI-enabled cyber threats, while investments in AI education and research could produce more specialists in cybersecurity, digital forensics and artificial intelligence.
The strategy’s emphasis on ethical AI governance also aligns with INTERPOL’s recommendation for stronger legal and institutional frameworks to prevent the misuse of artificial intelligence by cybercriminals.
INTERPOL urged African governments to strengthen cybersecurity legislation, improve intelligence sharing, expand digital forensic capabilities and deploy AI-powered defensive technologies to counter the continent’s rapidly evolving cyber threat landscape.
The report underscores that while Ghana’s National Artificial Intelligence Strategy is expected to accelerate innovation and create jobs, its successful implementation could also become a critical tool for protecting Ghanaians against increasingly sophisticated AI-driven cybercrime.
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