Buying online in Ghana is easier than ever, from Instagram boutiques to WhatsApp sellers to big e-commerce sites. So is getting scammed. The Cyber Security Authority (CSA) recorded 266 online shopping fraud cases between January and October 2025, with losses over GH₵600,000, and warns of spikes around Easter, Black Friday and Christmas.

The CSA’s red flags

  • Prices that look unrealistically low.
  • Payment to a personal MoMo wallet that does not carry the shop’s name.
  • Demands for advance payment.
  • Contact details you only found through search results, which may be fake listings.
  • Links in emails, texts or WhatsApp to unfamiliar shopping sites asking for card details or passwords.
  • Unfamiliar sellers with little or no review history.

Safe-shopping rules

  1. Pay on delivery, after you have received and inspected the goods. This is the CSA’s main advice.
  2. Check the name on the MoMo wallet before you confirm a payment. It should match the business.
  3. Verify the shop’s contacts through its official website or other reliable sources, and read reviews from real customers.
  4. Shop mainly with well-known retailers for expensive items.
  5. Be sceptical of unsolicited offers that seem too good to be true.
  6. Never share your PIN, OTP or card CVV with a seller.
  7. Keep records: screenshots of the listing, the chat and the payment.

Common shopping scam scripts

  • The vanishing seller: you pay upfront, the seller blocks you.
  • The “delivery fee” trick: a “dispatch rider” asks you to pay delivery first, then disappears.
  • The fake parcel message: “Your parcel is held. Pay the fee: [link]”. The CSA has warned about fake parcel delivery scams.
  • The cloned shop: a copy of a real shop’s page with a different MoMo number.
  • The used phone “bargain”: a photo of a phone that does not exist. See what to check before buying a used phone.

If you have been scammed

  1. Contact your MoMo provider or bank immediately, with the transaction ID.
  2. Report to the CSA and the police.
  3. Report the seller’s account to the platform (Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, Jiji).
Report cybercrime to the Cyber Security Authority: call or text 292, WhatsApp 0501603111, or email report@csa.gov.gh. Keep screenshots, numbers, links and transaction IDs as evidence.

Not sure if a shop’s website is real? See how to spot a fake website.

This guide was checked in October 2026. Menus and services change, so if something looks different on your phone, check with your provider.

Common questions

Is pay on delivery safe?

It is the safest option for buying from social media sellers. The CSA advises paying only after you receive and inspect the goods.

The seller wants payment before delivery. Is that a scam?

Not always, but demands for advance payment are one of the CSA’s red flags. Insist on pay on delivery, or buy from an established store.

How much have Ghanaians lost to online shopping fraud?

The CSA recorded 266 online shopping fraud cases from January to October 2025, with losses of over GH₵600,000.

What should I do if I paid and the goods never came?

Report to your MoMo provider or bank straight away, then to the Cyber Security Authority on 292 and the police. Keep screenshots of the chat and payment.

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