CSA Warns Over Rising Food Delivery Scams

The Cyber Security Authority (CSA) has issued a public alert over a sharp rise in food delivery scams involving fraudsters impersonating legitimate restaurants and food vendors on Google Search, Google Maps, and other online platforms.

The warning, issued by the Authority, follows a significant increase in reported cases and financial losses during the first half of the year.

According to the CSA, cybercriminals are manipulating business listings, replacing genuine contact details with fraudulent phone numbers and payment channels to deceive customers into paying for food orders that are never delivered.

The Authority has urged the public and businesses to verify contact details, avoid suspicious payment requests, and strengthen online security measures to prevent further losses.

Between January and June 2026, the Authority recorded 112 reported cases involving vendors and customers, compared with 61 cases during the same period last year.

Financial losses also rose sharply. Victims lost a combined GHS296,083.68 during the first six months of 2026, up from GHS84,592.00 recorded over the corresponding period in 2025. The Authority attributed the increase to cybercriminals exploiting online business listings to impersonate legitimate restaurants and food vendors.

The CSA explained that fraudsters either create fake business profiles or alter the contact details of legitimate restaurants on Google Search, Google Maps, and similar online platforms.

According to the Authority, the criminals typically exploit Google’s “suggest an edit” feature, claim unverified business profiles, or create duplicate listings that replace genuine business telephone numbers with fraudulent ones.

In some instances, the fraudsters purchase sponsored search advertisements to ensure their fake contact details appear prominently at the top of search results, increasing the likelihood that customers will contact them instead of the legitimate business.

Unsuspecting customers then place food orders, believing they are dealing directly with a genuine restaurant or food vendor.

After receiving customers’ orders, the fraudsters instruct victims to transfer payment to a designated mobile money account before delivery. Once payment is completed, communication stops and the ordered food is never delivered.

The Cyber Security Authority also warned that some victims are directed to fraudulent payment links under the pretext of confirming orders or processing payments. These malicious websites request personal information including customers’ names, delivery addresses, and mobile money numbers.

Once victims provide the requested details, cybercriminals use the information to conduct unauthorized transactions, resulting in additional financial losses beyond the initial food payment.

The Cyber Security Authority urged consumers to verify restaurant and food vendor contact information before placing online orders. The Authority advised customers to confirm business details through official websites, verified social media pages, or trusted food delivery platforms instead of relying solely on search engine results.

Consumers were also urged to exercise caution when asked to make payments through unfamiliar links. The CSA encouraged customers to insist on paying only after food has been delivered and inspected where possible.

It further warned the public never to disclose mobile money PINs, one-time passwords, banking credentials, or other sensitive personal information to any website or individual.

The Authority also advised customers not to approve mobile money payment prompts they did not initiate and to verify payment instructions directly with restaurants using independently confirmed contact details.

In addition, consumers were encouraged to regularly monitor their mobile money accounts for unauthorized transactions and immediately report suspicious activity to their mobile network operators.

The Cyber Security Authority also outlined measures for restaurants, food vendors, and other online businesses to protect themselves against impersonation. Businesses have been encouraged to claim and verify their Google Business Profiles to take control of their online listings.