The Ghana Police Service has pleaded with operators of electronic communication networks, electronic communications service providers, and broadcasting services to forbid the use of their platforms to spread fraudulent ads.
Charlatanic ads, in the opinion of the Police, are not only immoral but also illegal and punished by Ghanaian law.
In a statement, the Police Service said that it had observed an alarmingly rising number of adverts that sought to entice individuals into questionable endeavors that promised quick wealth.
“These charlatanic activities are assuming serious security implications for our society as a whole. The activities which often begin with misleading advertisements on some mainstream and social media platforms lure unsuspecting members of the public, including children, and deceive them into engaging in dubious acts, in the hope of getting rich overnight.
“Police investigations have recently shown that the upsurge in such activities has contributed to serious crimes such as defrauding by false pretenses, kidnapping, and even murder. Some recent notorious cases, attributable to the phenomenon include the Mankesim murder case, where the suspects under the pretext of sending their victims abroad, murdered them for ritual money and the Kasoa case where two teenage boys murdered their colleague also for ritual money” the statement read.
The Police Service claimed that in order to combat this threat, it has stepped up its enforcement operations nationwide and educated all pertinent parties about the law’s stance.
Source: Ghanatodayonline.com