The Cyber Security Authority (CSA) has unveiled a troubling rise in online blackmail incidents, revealing that 226 victims have lost a staggering GH₵112,209 in just the first six months of 2024.
This surge includes 141 new reports filed between March and June, highlighting a disturbing trend in online security breaches.
The perpetrators are primarily using social media to establish relationships, lure victims into intimate interactions, and then blackmail them with secretly recorded content.
According to the CSA, these blackmail schemes involve threat actors who initiate friendships with victims through social media platforms.
Once a level of trust is established, they coax individuals into intimate video calls, which are then secretly recorded. The culprits subsequently use these recordings to extort money from the victims.
The CSA’s data reveals a significant spike in these cases, with a 254% year-on-year increase noted in a March 2024 alert.
In response to the alarming rise, the CSA has issued crucial advice to the public.
“We strongly advise individuals to avoid accepting friend requests from unknown individuals and to use strong, unique passwords to safeguard their personal data,” a spokesperson from the CSA stated.
The authority continues to monitor the situation closely and urges anyone who suspects they are being targeted to report it immediately.
