Fake jobs, scholarships and romance scams fuel new wave of human trafficking – CID

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has warned of a growing trend of digital-enabled human trafficking, with criminals increasingly using social media, smartphones and encrypted messaging platforms to identify, recruit and exploit victims.

Director-General of the CID, Yaako Donkor, said traffickers were adopting sophisticated methods beyond traditional physical recruitment, using online platforms to lure unsuspecting individuals with false promises of better opportunities.

The CID Director-General said the changing nature of trafficking required a new approach to law enforcement, combining traditional policing with digital intelligence, cyber investigations, financial investigations, data analytics, digital forensics, artificial intelligence and international information sharing.