Mr John Awuah, Chief Executive Officer, of the Ghana Association of Banks (GAB) has said banks are frontline partners in combating financial fraud, stressing the importance of trust and coordinated intelligence-sharing.

“Trust is the name of the game. And as banks, our foundation is trust,” he said, noting that banks share information on incidents and emerging fraud tactics with the Bank of Ghana (BoG), the police and the Cybersecurity Authority (CSA), as well as among themselves.

Mr Awuah was speaking at the launch of the 2026 National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM) by the Cyber Security Authority (CSA) in Accra on Tuesday, together with key public and private-sector partners.

The CSA is also calling for stronger collaboration to secure Ghana’s rapidly expanding digital finance ecosystem.

The month-long campaign, running from October 1 to 31, 2026, is being held under the theme: ‘Securing Ghana’s Digital Finance Ecosystem: Building Trust Through Collaboration and Cyber Resilience’.

Mr Awuah also emphasised the shared responsibility between financial institutions and customers.

“An informed customer is a secure customer, and it takes two to tango in a fight against fraud,” he said, adding that strong institutional safeguards could still be undermined when customers disclose personal security information.”

 He said the growth of digital financial services should not require consumers to choose between convenience and safety. “The two must move together,” he said.

The launch marked a renewed commitment by regulators, law enforcement, financial institutions and other stakeholders to strengthen cybersecurity, combat cyber-enabled fraud and build public confidence in digital financial services.

Speaking at the event, CSA Director-General, Mr Divine Selase Agbeti, said the theme reflects the growing cyber risks accompanying the rapid expansion of digital financial services.

Citing the BoG’s 2025 Fraud Report, Mr Agbeti said fraud cases recorded across banks, specialised deposit-taking institutions and payment service providers increased by 48 per cent, from 16,733 in 2024 to 24,778 in 2025.

 Electronic fraud incidents in the payment service provider segment also rose by 54 per cent.

The CSA recorded 3,876 cybersecurity incidents between January and July 2026, with online fraud accounting for approximately 47 per cent.

“Cybersecurity cannot remain a compliance exercise done solely for the regulator, a technology project dedicated solely to the IT department, or an expense deferred until after an incident. It is a duty owed to every customer whose money and data you hold,” Mr Agbeti said.

Director-General of the CID, COP Lydia Yaako Donkor, highlighted recent law-enforcement successes in tackling cybercrime, including a joint CID and CSA operation in the Tema area that resulted in 39 arrests.

She also cited a joint Interpol-coordinated operation that led to 68 arrests, the seizure of 835 devices, the identification of 108 victims and the tracing of more than US$450,000 in losses.

Chief Risk Officer of CalBank PLC, Mr Sadiq Atta, who delivered welcome remarks on behalf of the Managing Director, Mr. Carl Selasi Asem, said the campaign theme was particularly relevant to the financial sector as digital adoption expands both opportunities and exposure to cyber risk.

“Our task, therefore, is not to hold back innovation; it is to pursue innovation in a way that strengthens security, resilience and trust,” he said.

Delivering the keynote address on behalf of the Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Mr Samuel Nartey George, Deputy Minister Mr Mohammed Adams Sukparu outlined five strategic pillars for NCSAM 2026:

Mr Sukparu said the initiative seeks to build confidence in Ghana’s digital economy.

“Let us build a Ghana where a citizen can make a digital payment with confidence, where a business can innovate without unnecessary fear, and where investors can have confidence in the resilience of our digital economy,” he said.