The Cyber Security Authority issued an emergency alert regarding a significant increase in fraudulent SMS messages intended to compromise bank accounts. According to a report from Starr FM, the Cyber Security Authority observed a high volume of these messages within a forty eight hour period. The messages typically contain a malicious link that redirects users to a fake website designed to harvest sensitive personal and financial information.
Technical experts at the Cyber Security Authority are currently tracking the originating servers used to broadcast these scam messages. The authority stated in a report by Graphic Online that these incidents are classified as smishing, which is a form of social engineering that exploits mobile messaging. The attackers often use names of various commercial banks to gain the trust of unsuspecting individuals.
A public advisory released by the Cyber Security Authority and reported by Citi Newsroom urged the public to refrain from clicking on any links embedded in unsolicited text messages. The agency noted that legitimate financial institutions in Ghana would never request account updates or password resets through a direct SMS link. The Cyber Security Authority also advised victims who may have interacted with such messages to contact their banks immediately to freeze affected accounts.
Official records from the Cyber Security Authority indicate that the fraudulent scripts used on these phishing pages are designed to steal biometric data and login credentials. The authority is collaborating with mobile network operators to block the suspicious numbers and domains. While the investigation continues, the Cyber Security Authority has requested that the public report any suspicious messages through their official contact channels for further analysis.