The Cybercrime Unit of the Ghana Police Service has issued an official warning regarding a fraudulent link circulating on the WhatsApp messaging platform. According to a report by GhanaWeb, the scam involves a viral message that falsely promises access to a presidential grant or government financial support for citizens. The authorities state that this is a phishing attempt designed to deceive the public into providing sensitive information.
As detailed in a report by Citi Newsroom, the malicious link redirects users to a website that mimics official government portals. Once on the site, visitors are asked to provide their full names, mobile numbers, and bank account details to claim the alleged funds. The Cybercrime Unit clarifies that no such grant distribution is currently being conducted through third party social media links and cautions that the scheme is used to facilitate identity theft.
Technical analysis provided by authorities and cited in various local media reports indicates that the phishing site uses social engineering to exploit the economic expectations of victims. The Ghana Police Service statement emphasizes that clicking on such links can lead to the installation of malware on mobile devices or the immediate compromise of digital wallets and banking applications. Security experts urge users to verify any government initiative through official ministry websites or verified social media handles.
The Cybercrime Unit has advised the public to delete any messages containing the suspicious link and to refrain from forwarding them to contacts or groups. While investigations into the originators of the link are ongoing, the police have not yet named specific suspects or made any arrests related to this particular phishing campaign. Officials remind the public that official government communications regarding financial grants are typically issued through the Ministry of Finance or the Ministry of Information.