Cyber Fraud Hinders Ghana’s Access to TikTok, PayPal Monetisation – Sam George

The Minister of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, has stated that Ghana’s ongoing challenges with content monetisation on platforms such as TikTok, PayPal and Meta are largely due to the persistence of fraud and romance scams in the country

Speaking to journalists at the Ningo-Prampram Education Directorate during the Teachers Awards and Retirees Send-Off ceremony, the Minister said fraud-related activities continue to damage Ghana’s digital reputation, making it difficult to convince global platforms to open monetisation opportunities to Ghanaian users.

 “I have seen a number of comments on social media suggesting that we are targeting the ‘fraud boys’ instead of creating jobs. Those same people are asking me to get PayPal, TikTok and Meta to monetise content here. However, these platforms will continue to blacklist Ghana as long as fraud persists,” he said.

Mr. George noted that fraud was a major reason PayPal exited Ghana several years ago, emphasizing that the issue has had long-term consequences for the country’s digital economy.

He stressed that the Ministry would continue its efforts to clamp down on cybercriminals because their actions negatively affect Ghanaians who are legitimately employed online, particularly content creators.

“The reason PayPal left Ghana is because of fraud. When a few individuals deprive the majority who are doing legitimate work on social media and creating content, it affects everyone. The inability to monetise and derive value from creative work stems from a small group tarnishing Ghana’s image. We will take action,” he noted.

The Minister further noted that tackling cybercrime not only protects legitimate content creators but also improves Ghana’s international reputation, strengthening the country’s position when negotiating with global platforms on monetisation.

“I made a commitment when I became Minister that anything we must do to clean up Ghana’s image internationally, we will do. As we clamp down on cybercrime, it strengthens our case when engaging platforms on monetisation and presents Ghana as a safe and credible destination,” he added.