Hackers Target Sierra Leone and Ghana Websites, Raising Fears of Online Scams
Unknown hackers have targeted websites using Sierra Leone’s .sl and Ghana’s .gh internet domains, reportedly in an attempt to redirect users to fraudulent websites and expose them to online scams.
Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Information and Civic Education announced on Friday, October 9, that government institutions, businesses and other organisations using the country’s .sl domain were affected by the incident.
According to the Ministry, the attackers targeted the CoCCA domain management system, which is used to manage internet domains, without authorisation.
“In Sierra Leone, 44 website addresses were affected, including one government website and several commercial websites,” the Ministry said.
The Ministry added that efforts were underway to restore the affected websites and block unauthorised access. It also reassured the public that the threat had been neutralised as of Thursday, October 8.
The incident, which also reportedly affected Ghana and American Samoa, raises concerns about the security of websites and the potential risks to people who rely on them for information and services.
Users of the affected websites could be particularly vulnerable to scammers if they are redirected to fraudulent pages designed to steal personal information, login credentials or financial details. Such attacks could also expose individuals and businesses to financial losses, identity theft and other forms of cybercrime.
Although the threat has reportedly been neutralised, users are advised to remain vigilant when visiting affected websites, avoid clicking suspicious links, and refrain from sharing passwords, banking information or other sensitive details on websites they cannot verify. The incident points to how unauthorised changes to trusted web domains can turn familiar online destinations into potential entry points for scammers.