This scam is especially sneaky, because you are the one who goes looking. You need to reach a company's customer service — your bank, a delivery firm, your network, an airline — so you search online or check a map, find a number, and call it. Except the number does not belong to the company. It belongs to a fraudster who put it there on purpose, waiting for someone exactly like you to call.
How it works
The Cyber Security Authority has flagged a real and growing version of this con. Criminals create fake business listings on search engines and online map services, complete with contact details — phone numbers, sometimes web forms — that they control. To you, it looks like the official customer-service line. You call believing you have reached the real company.
From there, the fraudster guides you through what sounds like a normal "service" or "payment verification" process. You are asked for your phone number, your mobile network, the transaction amount — and then your mobile money PIN, often by being told to fill in an online form. The moment you provide it, they use that information to carry out unauthorised transactions, and your money is gone.
What makes this scam so effective is that it inverts the usual advice. We are trained to be suspicious of people who contact us. But here, you reached out — so your guard is naturally down. That misplaced sense of safety is exactly what the fraudster is counting on.
How to protect yourself
If it has already happened
A real company will never ask for your mobile money PIN to "verify" anything. The moment a "customer service" agent asks for it, hang up — you have reached a scammer, not the company.
This guide is part of our complete guide to staying safe online in Ghana. The same golden rule — never share your PIN — runs through our mobile money fraud guide. Not sure about a number or message? Try the Ghana Scam Checker.
About this guide
Common questions
Why are fake customer service numbers dangerous?
Scammers create fake 'customer care' or 'help' numbers — often pushed through search results, social media, or sponsored posts — so that when you call about a real problem, you reach a criminal who poses as the bank, network, or company and walks you into revealing your PIN, codes, or card details.
How do I find the real customer service number for a company?
Get the number only from the company's official website, the back of your bank card, your official app, or genuine printed material — never from a random search result, a social media reply, or a number someone messaged you. When in doubt, type the company's web address yourself.
What should I do if I called a fake support line and shared information?
Act fast: change the password on any account you discussed, call your bank or network on their official number to flag your account, and check for transactions you did not make. Report the fake number and the fraud to the Cyber Security Authority on the short code 292.
This guide is part of TechTrendi's Online Safety series for Ghana. The advice here is drawn from official sources, including the Cyber Security Authority (CSA) Fraudulent Online Business Impersonation advisory (Ref: CSA/CERT/MPA/2026-04/01, figures for 1 Jan–26 Apr 2026). Written by Edmund A. and reviewed by the TechTrendi editorial team. Last reviewed: June 2026.
Spotted an error, or a scam we should cover? Email us at [email protected]. To report a crime, contact the CSA on 292.