Reported cases of cyberbullying by operators of unlicensed digital lending apps in Ghana have seen a significant rise this year, according to the Cyber Security Authority (CSA).
In a statement issued on Thursday, June 27, the CSA says it has received 130 reports so far in 2024 from victims of cyberbullying by owners of various mobile loan apps.
Some of the key findings from the CSA's investigations include several unapproved lending apps using extortion tactics like "demanding loan repayment with high interest rates from the victim or an associate".
These fraudsters, according to the CSA, employ the tactic of threatening to circulate actual or fabricated nude photos of the victim on social media" to bully loan defaulters.
The CSA further notes that beyond unapproved lending practices, "the owners of the Apps have not met the compliance obligations of the Data Protection Commission (DPC) and hence their access and use of the data and PII of users violate the Data Protection Act, 2012 (Act 843)."
“The public is strongly advised against subscribing to these mobile applications since they ARE NOT sanctioned by the Bank of Ghana (BoG) and the Data Protection Commission. Individuals who patronise these services do so at their own risk,” cautioned the CSA.
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