The Ghana Police Service has registered its displeasure at the growing number of adverts luring individuals into fraudulent activities that promise instant riches.

In a statement on Friday, December 23, 2022, the Police said these charlatanic actions have major security consequences for society as a whole.

The actions, which frequently begin with misleading advertisements on some mainstream and social media platforms, trick unwary members of the public, including youngsters, into engaging in questionable behaviours in the goal of becoming wealthy overnight.

The Police said recent investigations reveal an increase in such operations has contributed to major crimes such as defrauding by false pretences, kidnapping, and even murder.

The Mankessim murder case, where the suspects killed their victims for ritual money while pretending to send them abroad, and the Kasoa murder case, where two teenage boys also killed their colleague for ritual money, are two recent infamous cases that law enforcement officials attribute to the phenomenon.

“The Police have Charlatanic advertisements are not just unethical but criminals and punishable by law under the laws of Ghana,” the statement cautioned.

The Police further said, “We, therefore, urge operators of electronic communication networks, providers of electronic communications and broadcasting services to rise to their responsibilities and not to allow their platforms to be used in the promotion or advertising of such activities.”

To combat this threat, the Police Service stated that it has increased its enforcement activities across the country, as well as educated all relevant parties on the legal position on the topic.