Nearly nine in 10 Ghanaians use mobile money, but few feel completely safe doing so, according to new findings from the Ghana Digital Economy Outlook 2026.
The report commissioned by the Ministry of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations and the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ Ghana), and technically implemented by MGA Consulting Ghana Ltd., identifies a widening trust deficit as a major constraint on the country’s digital finance sector, calling for stronger enforcement, fraud prevention and consumer redress.
The survey of 1,112 respondents across all 16 regions found that 88.9% use mobile money. The report notes that 82.9% of users have experienced fraud, while only 7.3% feel very secure online. The findings also show that 33% of respondents worry about fraud and cybersecurity, a concern the authors say is grounded in reality, with the Cyber Security Authority reporting a rise in digital financial crimes.
Mobile money has achieved near-universal adoption, but widespread fraud and low confidence are undermining the trust on which the entire digital finance ecosystem depends. With 82.9% of users reporting fraud exposure and only 7.3% saying they feel very secure online, the report says the sector is operating under “a ceiling of eroded trust.”
It places this weakness ahead of access and awareness as a constraint on further growth.
The problem is most visible along the coast. The Coastal Zone, described in the report as the country’s most digitally active, records cybersecurity as its largest unmet need at 19.4%, ahead of fintech at 18.5% and e-commerce at 15.4%. The zonal analysis concludes that “fraud is the primary growth ceiling, not access or awareness,” suggesting that as digital adoption deepens, users become increasingly concerned about protecting their money and other assets.
Trust is also shaping behaviour in online trade. The report notes that cash-on-delivery remains common in e-commerce, attributing this to caution shaped by earlier experiences of fraud, product misrepresentation and weak refund processes. Women and young people face the highest exposure, prompting the report to prioritise national digital safety campaigns targeting those groups.
The recommended response has three parts: stronger cybersecurity enforcement, more effective consumer redress mechanisms and artificial intelligence-driven fraud detection designed for the Ghanaian context.
Stakeholders also propose a shared fraud-prevention and secure application programming interface platform run by a fintech consortium, with the Bank of Ghana, the Cyber Security Authority and telecommunications operators identified as key actors.
The report argues that the national identity system and mobile payments have created a layer of trust that has supported the growth of e-commerce and gig work. It warns: “Protecting this confidence is vital because any decline in trust could hinder long-term participation in the digital ecosystem.”
