• Ghana will block telecom access for users linked to mobile money fraud

• The measure relies on the national ID system used for SIM registration

• It comes as mobile money grows rapidly alongside rising fraud cases

Ghana is moving to deny telecom services to individuals involved in mobile money fraud, as authorities seek to curb a fast-growing threat in the country’s digital payments ecosystem.

The measure is part of a new SIM card registration framework presented on March 17 by Communications Minister Samuel Nartey George during a stakeholder meeting in Accra.

Under the system, subscriber identification is tied to the national ID, known as the Ghana Card. Authorities say that if a single ID is linked to multiple SIM registrations used in fraudulent mobile money activities, it will be blocked from registering new SIM cards. In practice, this would cut off access to telecom services.

The move comes as mobile money continues to expand rapidly in Ghana, driven by its ease of use and wider accessibility compared to traditional banking services.

According to the Bank of Ghana’s 2024 annual report on payment systems oversight, the total value of mobile money transactions reached 3,010 billion Ghanaian cedis (about $275.6 billion) in 2024, up 56.8% from 1,920 billion cedis in 2023. By the end of 2025, active accounts stood at 26.7 million out of 80.5 million registered accounts.

This growth has been accompanied by a rise in fraud. The Bank of Ghana’s 2023 Financial Stability Report recorded 13,451 fraud cases across the financial sector, with mobile money accounting for 20%—around 2,700 cases involving platforms such as MTN MoMo, Vodafone Cash, and AirtelTigo Money.

Isaac K. Kassouwi