President John Dramani Mahama has warned cybercrime perpetrators residing in Ghana that they will be extradited to foreign countries for trial and punished under the law if apprehended.

He gave the warning in Accra during the launch of the National Cyber Security Awareness Month on Wednesday, October 1, 2025.

Mr Mahama said cybercrime, particularly romance scams and mobile money fraud, had become more sophisticated, posing threats to national security, the economy and jobs.

He noted that some cases involved insiders within banks and financial institutions who had faced sanctions once exposed.

“Anybody involved in romance scams, whether you are a foreigner or you are a Ghanaian citizen, we will hand you over to be tried and punished accordingly,” the President stated.

His remarks followed an INTERPOL-led operation that dismantled cybercrime networks across Africa. The crackdown, codenamed Operation Contender 3.0, resulted in the arrest of 260 suspected scammers in 14 countries between July 28 and August 11, 2025.

Ghana was part of the exercise, arresting 68 people and seizing 835 devices, including SIM cards, forged documents and USB drives in an increasing crackdown on transnational cybercrime, which has already seen the extradition of some suspects to the United States this year.

Authorities identified 108 victims in Ghana with losses totalling $450,000. About $70,000 of the stolen funds has already been recovered, according to INTERPOL.

The global operation targeted romance scams and sextortion schemes that exploited social media and dating platforms. INTERPOL said suspects in Ghana created fake profiles, used stolen images and demanded payments under false courier or customs claims. In sextortion cases, scammers secretly recorded explicit video chats and used them for blackmail.

Overall, the operation disrupted cybercrime networks linked to an estimated $2.8 million in losses to 1,463 victims worldwide, with 81 digital infrastructures dismantled.

Mr Mahama also cautioned the public against disclosing personal details to fraudsters posing as telecom operators or bankers.

He cited common scams where callers claimed to represent mobile service providers and tricked people into giving away PIN codes. “Your bank will never call you, your telecom provider will never call you and ask for your personal details,” he said.

Announcing new steps, the President said Ghana would inaugurate a Joint Cyber Security Committee (JCCC) to coordinate the work of security and intelligence agencies under the Cyber Security Authority.

He also disclosed that Ghana would ratify the United Nations Convention on Cybercrime this month, building on the Malabo and Budapest Conventions.

He pointed to government initiatives under the Reset Ghana Agenda, including the One Million Coders Programme, the Digital Jobs Initiative and a $50 million FinTech Growth Fund.

According to him, these programmes would prepare young people for opportunities in the digital economy while strengthening national defences against cyber threats.

Mr Mahama stressed that ordinary citizens were the first line of defence against online crime and urged them to be cautious. “A simple click can have consequences,” he said, adding that vigilance online was as important as caution in daily life.