The youth in Ghana have resorted to using fake online identities to make a living, this is according to a report by Africa News. With a per capita income of just $1 700 per year and the unemployment rate at its highiest, some have turned to cybercrime to stay afloat.
Africa News reports that the young people of Ghana create aliases to lure unsuspecting internet users, mostly on dating sites and fleece them off their money. The fraudsters go to a dating sites to chat and sometimes send pictures in exchange for money.
However, some experts believe that the new trend is not a result of unemployment but a booming e-commerce industry and tech savvy youth taking advantage of it.
Youth unemployment has risen since 2014 due to slower growth caused by a fiscal crisis as well as lower global prices for Ghana’s gold, cocoa and oil. Experts say many African countries face a race to increase growth fast enough to absorb young people entering the labour market as the continent’s population is set to swell in coming decades.
Staff Writer
