The Chief Executive of the Telecommunications Chamber, Ken Ashigbey, has urged for the prosecution of the 422 individuals arrested in a joint operation by EOCO, the Bank of Ghana, and the Cyber Security Authority for their alleged involvement in online loan fraud. He also suggested that community service should be included as part of their punishment.
Ashigbey emphasized that these accused fraudsters possess knowledge in information and communication technology (ICT), making them suitable candidates to educate children in rural and underprivileged communities.
The suspects were apprehended at various locations in Accra following concerns raised about their illicit activities. Ashigbey commended the institutions involved for their efforts in apprehending these offenders.
“We are happy that the Cyber Security Authority has arrested over 400 loan fraudsters and we want to tell them to be firm in ensuring that justice is served in terms of prosecuting. When it comes to cyber fraud, it doesn’t matter who you are, anyone can be involved. It is unfortunate that most of the people who fall prey to these fraudsters are the elderly who have little knowledge of ICT.
“These fraudsters take advantage of these vulnerable people and defraud them. The only way to bridge that gap is to engage in things like coding to create awareness. These fraudsters must be taken through the criminal justice system. Once that is done, it will serve as a deterrent to others. We also need to use them as examples to know that this is not the way to go. It would be great if we had community service for them to teach those who have little knowledge about ICT,” Ken Ashigbey was quoted by citinewsroom.com.