The Ghana Police Service has arrested three individuals for allegedly impersonating public officials and engaging in online fraud targeting unsuspecting members of the public.
The arrests followed a sustained intelligence-led operation by the Cyber Vetting and Enforcement Team across the Sogakope, Dabala, Dzodze, and Penyi communities in the Volta Region.
The suspects have been identified as Gideon Awudi, 25; Edem Soku, 33; and Judith Soku, 31.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the suspects created and operated fake social media accounts impersonating high-profile public officials, including the Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Bagbin, the Inspector-General of Police, and other prominent personalities, with the intent to defraud victims.
Further investigations revealed that the suspects were also involved in a range of cybercrimes, including mobile money fraud, credit card fraud, airtime sales scams, and online marketplace fraud across multiple social media platforms.
The suspects have been handed over to the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) at the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Headquarters for further investigations and will be arraigned before court in accordance with the law.
The Ghana Police Service has urged the public to remain vigilant when conducting online financial transactions and to verify the authenticity of social media accounts before engaging with them.
By Peter Quao Adattor/paqmediagh
