Cyber Security Centre to pick up persons behind fake online news of arrest of govt official in UK

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has said its attention has been drawn to an audio circulating on social media purporting to be a news report from an international news outlet suggesting that a Ghana Government official has been caught laundering cash into the United Kingdom (UK).

A statement by the Centre on Monday October 12 said forensic examination conducted on the audio by the National Cyber Security Centre reveals the audio was computer-generated using available technologies for fictitious audio-visual creation and manipulation.

“We therefore entreat the public to disregard the audio and desist from circulating such fictitious content.

“Forensic analysis by the National Cyber Security Centre reveals the audio was computer-generated using available technologies for fictitious audio-visual creation and manipulation. The Centre is working with the Police CID and other security agencies to identify the sources of this and other false materials being generated and bring them to book.”

Such act, according to the centre, is against the laws of the land.

“The public is hereby reminded that production of such information is a crime under Section 115 of the Electronic Transactions Act, 2008 (Act 772) and Section 159 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29). The NCSC wishes to draw the attention of the public that circulating such fictitious content breaches the law under Section 76 of the Electronic Communications Act, 2008 (Act 775): ‘A person who by means of electronic communications service, knowingly sends a communication which is false or misleading and likely to prejudice the efficiency of life saving service or to endanger the safety of any person, ship, aircraft, vessel or vehicle commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine of not more than three thousand penalty units or to a term of imprisonment of not more than five years or both.

“(2) A person is taken to know that a communication is false or misleading if that person did not take reasonable steps to find out whether the communication was false, misleading, reckless or fraudulent,’.”

It added that “law enforcement agencies have therefore been alerted about the ongoing circulation of the audio and offenders would be arrested and prosecuted under the law.

“The general public and mainstream media outlets are hereby advised to be on the lookout for false news items and similar fake productions circulating virally with the hope that it will be carried into mainstream media. These are common interference tactics especially generated during election seasons globally.

“The public is hereby advised to report such suspected information or incident in circulation on social media or any digital platform to the National Cyber Security Centre through the Cybercrime/Cybersecurity Incidents Points of Contact (call or SMS 292).

“The Ministry of Communications through the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) working in collaboration with the Ministry of Information and other relevant security agencies are committed to ensuring a safer cyber space for all Ghanaians.”