Ghana’s Vice-President, Kwesi Amissah-Arthur has urged ISPs to put in place effective measures to combat internet fraud, amid rapidly increasingly cybercrime.
Ghana is currently ranked second in Africa behind Nigeria in terms of cybercrime.
Most cybercriminals in Ghana are young (21-35 years of age), highly IT skilled, agile and technologically alert, and thought to be operating inside the country but also moving swiftly across the sub-region, leaving a trail of destruction and tears.
Cybercriminals steal more than $600 million annually globally, and Ghanaians and Nigerians are said to be currently collaborating with powerful global syndicates to advance this white-collar crime on the continent.
According to information from the Journal of Information Technology Impact , at least 40% of the alleged cybercriminals arrested in Ghana are Nigerians and 38% are Ghanaians, with the nationalities of Liberia, Cote d’Ivoire and Togo completing the list.
The Ghanaian government is not only worried about the involvement of young people in this crime, but also about the negative publicity emanating from the country’s ‘comfortable’ position in global cybercrime.
Amissah-Arthur appealed to the youth not to engage in cybercrime, but to take full advantage of the ICT opportunities in order to enhance themselves and change their lives.
The government continues to tell the general public, especially internet café operators, to watch out for cybercriminals and report them as fast as possible.
Ghana’s Communications Ministry said it was working with the Commonwealth to come up with a plan to catch those involved in the practice, both in Ghana and abroad.
Accounting firm Deloitte and Touche, has said that Ghana’s challenges of fighting cybercrime included the lack of password policy by most service providers and other internet based related companies, as well as other ‘strange’ legislations.