Ghana’s expanding digital payments economy is creating new opportunities for e-commerce businesses, but it is also forcing online merchants to treat fraud prevention as a core business function rather than a problem left to customers and regulators.
The Cyber Security Authority (CSA) recorded 266 cases of online shopping fraud between January and October 2025, resulting in losses of more than GH¢600,000. The cases involved fake online shops, brand impersonation and phishing schemes designed to capture payments or sensitive customer information.
The threat has since moved closer to legitimate businesses themselves.
Between January 1 and April 26, 2026, the CSA received 54 cases involving fraudulent online business impersonation, with reported financial losses of GH¢266,195. Fraudsters created fake business profiles on search engines and online map platforms and used contact details controlled by them to make customers believe they were dealing with genuine companies.
A key risk for e-commerce operators extends beyond the immediate loss of a sale. A customer who sends money to a fake account may blame the legitimate business, damaging trust, generating complaints and discouraging future online purchases.
The risk is growing alongside the value of digital transactions in Ghana.
The CSA has warned that scammers commonly create fake social-media shops offering goods at unusually low prices, then ask customers to make advance payments into mobile-money wallets that do not carry the name of the supposed business. In other cases, criminals impersonate established brands through search-engine listings and redirect customers to fraudulent contact numbers.
This means businesses need to manage fraud risk at several points in the customer journey.
Maintaining verified business profiles, clearly publishing official telephone numbers and payment details, monitoring search results and social-media accounts, and quickly reporting fraudulent listings are becoming part of protecting the value of an online brand.
The issue is particularly relevant for smaller businesses that rely heavily on social media rather than dedicated e-commerce platforms. A fraudulent Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp or Google listing can be enough to divert customers before the legitimate business knows it exists.
The financial sector is also becoming more exposed as merchants rely on mobile money and instant digital payments. Bank of Ghana figures show the value of mobile money transactions has risen sharply in recent years, from GH¢334.8 billion in December 2024 to GH¢518.4 billion a year later.
Cybersecurity is becoming closely tied to revenue protection for businesses. Fraud can result in direct financial losses, while also driving up customer-acquisition costs, damaging reputations and increasing spending on verification and dispute resolution.
The challenge is particularly important as Ghana seeks to expand its digital economy and enable more SMEs to sell beyond physical markets. Greater consumer confidence in online payments can support e-commerce growth, while repeated fraud incidents could encourage customers to return to cash or payment-on-delivery models.
The CSA has advised consumers to verify business contact details through official websites or reliable sources rather than relying solely on search results, while encouraging shoppers to be cautious about unusually attractive offers.
The growing fraud threat means e-commerce businesses must treat digital trust as part of their commercial infrastructure. Securing payment channels, verifying online profiles and responding quickly to impersonation cases could become as important to retaining customers as pricing, delivery and product quality.
