21 Feb 2024
A World Bank report said that Ghana's nominal GDP in 2022 was $78 billion. The GDP per capita income of the country in the same year was $2,203.6. Factors such as limited industrialization, economic inequality and weaker Ghanian economic structure contribute to its low GDP. Owing to these economic issues, the people of Ghana travel to developed countries like Ireland. Their prime purpose is to earn a living and send money to Ghana from Ireland to offer financial support back home.
But when it comes to online money transfers to Ghana from Ireland, there is one thing you are deeply concerned and worried about.
Do you know what that is?
Well, it is the safety of your funds and online transactions.
Do you know why?
Because it is about your hard-earned money!
Therefore, in the realm of online money transfers, the safety of your funds takes precedence over all else. Won’t you agree?
This blog will, therefore, shed light on online safety and how you can ensure your online safety the moment you go online.
Online safety is about understanding and recognising the threats that exist online. Online safety also refers to how you keep your data secure and safe from hackers who are present online to gain access to your data and exploit you.
Remember that online frauds are on the rise with the advancement in technology. Scammers and hackers use different tactics to fleece you. Therefore, if you are not careful about your online safety, the chances are high that you will fall victim to any online fraud.
The importance of online safety is immense, even if you use some social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram only for fun and entertainment. Imagine its importance when you get to send money online to Ghana from Ireland to offer financial aid back home.
Can you imagine the damage you will suffer if a scammer steals your credentials and financial data, including your bank account number and card details?
Well, the financial loss is the least damage you can suffer because every online scam boils down to fleecing you one way or the other.
Let’s now look at some of the statistics to make you realize how important your online safety is for you.
It is not simply about knowing online scams and frauds and protecting yourself from them. It is also about monitoring the relevant statistics because knowing the following stats will help you stay conscious and guard against online fraud!
Let’s now understand some of the common online scams.
Scammers have differences in names and methods of operation. Their focus is on one thing – fleece you financially and deprive you of your hard-earned money. So, knowing about some of the most common scams and their details is a must to ensure protection against them.
One of the most common online frauds is ‘Phishing.’ Millions of people worldwide fall victim to this scam type despite widespread awareness about it.
In a phishing scam, scammers send you an email pretending to be someone you already know or someone representing a reputable and credible organisation. In most cases, scammers pretend to represent your bank and, after gaining your trust, seek your bank account details. Once given your trust, all or some of your money is gone forever!
Therefore, exercise extreme caution when you are planning an online money transfer from Ireland to Ghana.
In this scam type, scammers strike on popular events like Christmas, birthdays, and Easter and target people who celebrate them. The target receives a greeting card via email. The target downloads and opens this greeting card on their device. The result is devastation. When the target clicks the card, malware spreads, leading to the hacking of your device and information.
These scams are carried out through online dating apps and platforms. Hackers will focus on the people visiting these platforms and lure them into spending money and sharing their sensitive information and data with newfound love and interest.
In this scam, you will receive an email apprising you of winning a lottery whose prize money is exponential to the point of suspending your senses for a few moments. You get so attracted to this prize money that you are ready to do anything to get it.
Once you reach this point, you are then asked to pay a fee to process the prize money. If you unfortunately end up paying this so-called fee, you fall victim to the fraud. To keep yourself from such scams, consider following some tips on online remittance scams and frauds and how to stay protected.
By now, you have clearly understood the importance of online safety, particularly if you are a Ghanaian migrant working in Ireland to earn a living.
Let’s look at some of the important tips to ensure your online safety while making a money transfer.
Given that you use your smartphone and other gadgets for your online presence, you must install antivirus software on your phone and other gadgets like tablets or PCs. But keep this updated and run it for scans regularly.
Always use strong and unique passwords. Make sure to create awkward passwords and never use any letter, symbol, or digit that relates to you in any way. Because if you did so, cracking your password would be easy for the hacker.
You may find navigating hard and tough, but a multi-factor authentication process adds to your online safety. So, always use a multi-factor authentication process instead of a simple password or a single biometric authentication process.
While you are working in a developed country, you will find several open internet connections. For example, a ride on the train or a bus ride in Ireland will give you access to a free Wi-Fi connection. However, never use it because an open internet connection is easy to hack.
Always make sure to use different passwords for different platforms and apps. For example, make sure that the password you use for unlocking your phone must be different from the password allowing you access to, for example, your gallery.
Remember your username and password for certain banking and financial apps, and do not log out automatically. So, make sure to log out of every session and see to it that the app does not remember your login credentials.
Your online safety is critically important as a Ghanaian migrant. The reason could be that you might make a regular digital money transfer from Ireland to Ghana to support your family financially. Right?
In this context, choose your service provider wisely and always go with those enjoying impeccable reputations in the global remittance transfer industry, like ACE money Transfer. This service offers a pleasant and financially beneficial money transfer experience immersed in competitive exchange rates, speed, and safety in exchange for a low fee.
Ghanaians work in developed countries like Ireland to find prospective and sustainable employment opportunities that they struggle to find in their native country. The robust economies of developed countries do take job-seeking migrants in their folds.
Online safety refers to keeping yourself safe in the middle of your online presence regardless of the purpose for which you have gone online. It also means learning about online threats, scams, and techniques to protect yourself.
Nothing is as important for you as a Ghanaian migrant in Ireland as your online safety. Every online safety breach can cause a financial loss, which you cannot afford regardless of size because you have expatriated to support your family financially in the first place.
Some of the most common online scams include email Phishing scams, greeting card scams, credit card scams, online dating scams, lottery fee scams, and so on. All of these scams have one common purpose: to fleece you.
You can ensure your online safety by not using an open Wi-Fi connection, using antivirus software, updating your antivirus software, running scans regularly, and using strong and awkward passwords. You can also use multi-factor authentication, log out of every banking session, use different passwords, and learn about different online frauds regarding money transfers.
Resources
(GDP (current US$) - Ghana | Data (worldbank.org)
(GDP per capita (current US$) - Ghana | Data (worldbank.org)
