MobileMoney Limited (MML), the mobile financial services arm of MTN Ghana, has deepened its collaboration with the Ghana Police Service as part of a renewed, large-scale strategy to tackle the persistent threat of digital finance fraud and enhance the physical security of mobile money agents across the country.
The move marks one of the most deliberate efforts yet by the fintech leader to secure its ecosystem amid the rapid evolution of cyber-enabled crime.
High-level visit signals stronger security alliance
The company’s Chief Executive Officer, Shaibu Haruna, led a high-level delegation from the company’s leadership team to pay a courtesy call on the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Dr. Christian Akweley Yohuno, at the Police Headquarters in Accra.
The engagement, though ceremonial on the surface, formed part of a broader operational roadmap aimed at addressing some of the most pressing security challenges confronting the mobile money industry.
For years, mobile money has been at the heart of Ghana’s digital financial transformation, enabling millions to transact safely, conveniently and at low cost.
Yet the same rapid adoption that has cemented its role in the economy has also created opportunities for fraudsters—both cyber criminals operating through sophisticated digital channels and physical criminals targeting mobile money agents in the field.
These threats remain a major hurdle affecting the efficiency of MobileMoney Ltd’s operations, the sustainability of agent businesses, and the confidence of customers.
Growing threats make collaboration more urgent
It is against this backdrop that MML’s renewed collaboration with the Ghana Police Service has taken on heightened significance.
During the meeting, discussions focused on the twin pillars of the partnership: bolstering the security of Mobile Money agents and supporting the Police Service with capacity-building and resources to reinforce the national response to digital financial crime.
MML agents remain vulnerable to robberies, targeted attacks and coordinated criminal networks that recognise the high transactional volumes processed daily within the sector.
As the physical front line of Ghana’s mobile money ecosystem, these agents face risks that can be financially debilitating and psychologically draining.
Many operate late into the night, in densely populated trading areas, and often without adequate protection.
Several agents have been killed by criminals while some survive such attacks despite sustaining serious injuries
The company acknowledges that the security of these agents directly influences public trust in the entire mobile money system.
A single attack on an agent not only causes financial loss but erodes customer confidence and undermines the credibility of the wider fintech industry.
Police cybercrime units key to combating digital fraud
The Police Service, through its Criminal Investigations Department (CID), Cybercrime Unit and regional commands, has been instrumental in arresting fraudsters, dismantling syndicates and protecting communities.
However, the increasingly complex nature of digital finance fraud requires a closer, more structured collaboration with industry players such as MML.
Fraudsters have shifted from traditional SIM-box and phishing scams to more advanced social engineering, impersonation schemes, identity theft and mobile-based money laundering.
Many are part of transnational networks with cross-border capabilities.
By working more closely with the Ghana Police Service, MobileMoney Ltd aims to enhance intelligence-sharing mechanisms, create faster reporting channels for fraud incidents, and support digital forensics training that will enable investigators to track, trace and prosecute fraudsters more swiftly.
MML’s planned support for capacity-building—including training workshops, joint operations frameworks and resource support—will improve the Police’s ability to respond to emerging threats in the digital economy.
Stronger protection for agents nationwide
The partnership will also explore how MML can assist in strengthening regional police interventions, especially in areas where agent robberies have been prevalent.
With enhanced patrols, quicker response times and improved operational coordination, agents stand to benefit from a safer working environment.
For many, this could be the difference between remaining in business or shutting down operations due to repeated attacks.
A commitment to securing Ghana’s digital economy
The visit by Shaibu Haruna and the MML leadership team signalled more than a corporate courtesy call—it underscored a long-term commitment to securing Ghana’s mobile money ecosystem at a time when the fintech space is expanding faster than regulatory and enforcement frameworks can adapt.
In a sector where over GH₵1 trillion in transactions pass through the system annually, the stakes are high, and the costs of security breaches are severe.
In 2022, the Bank of Ghana’s (BoG) fraud report revealed that mobile money scammers made away with customers’ money totaling GH₵26 million from 12,166 cases in 2022.
Similarly, cyber and tech-related fraud cases rose in both frequency and impact, with reported losses climbing from GH¢8.9 million in 2023 to just under GH¢10 million in 2024.
Speaking after the engagement, Shaibu indicated that the deepened alliance with the Police would play a vital role not only in addressing existing threats but also in preparing for future vulnerabilities as Ghana moves toward a more cash-lite economy.
He emphasised that building a safer ecosystem requires collaboration between regulators, security agencies, telecom operators, fintech companies and consumers.
Police Welcome Enhanced Partnership
For the Ghana Police Service, the partnership aligns with its strategic objective of improving public safety within the digital financial space, an area that has grown exponentially in recent years.
With the police increasingly encountering cases linked to withdrawals, merchant payments, peer-to-peer transfers and digital wallets, strengthening institutional cooperation has become more urgent.
The IGP, Dr. Yohuno, welcomed the collaborative posture of MML and reaffirmed the Service’s commitment to protecting the digital financial ecosystem.
He stressed that safeguarding the mobile money landscape requires collective responsibility, strategic partnerships and sustained investment in law enforcement capacity.
Building a safer future for millions of users
MobileMoney Ltd’s strengthened partnership with the Police is set to become one of the country’s most important institutional alliances—one that protects customers, empowers agents, reinforces public confidence and ensures that the benefits of digital finance are not undermined by criminality.
The visit represents a significant step toward building a safer, more resilient and more trusted mobile money environment for millions of Ghanaians who rely on the service daily for livelihood, commerce and financial inclusion.
