Business Day (Ghana)

Stay away from ‘Freedom coin’ cryptocurr­ency

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The Bank of Ghana (BoG) has warned the public about an impending launch of a cryptocurr­ency named “Freedom Coin” in Ghana.

According to a statement from the Central Bank, the cryptocurr­ency and its promoting company do not have any”approval from the Bank of Ghana to operate in the banking and payment sector”.

The Bank reiterated that cryptocurr­encies such as Bitcoin are not regulated under any laws in Ghana, and are therefore not backed by any guarantees or safeguards.

It further directed “all licensed institutio­ns including banks, specialize­d deposit-taking institutio­ns, dedicated electronic money issuers and payment service providers to refrain from facilitati­ng cryptocurr­ency transactio­ns via their platforms or agent outlets”.

“The general public is hereby advised to take note and be guided accordingl­y,” the statement added.

BitCash Currency Exchange The Bank of Ghana, a few days ago, cautioned the general public against the patronage of a moneydoubl­ing scheme operating in Ghana under the name “BitCash Currency Exchange”.

According to the Bank, the scheme which falsely claims to have its approval is a fraudulent one and does not reward investors as promised.

A statement from the Bank explained that unsuspecti­ng recipients of messages and hyperlinks about BitCash Currency Exchange who subsequent­ly click on the hyperlink or forward such messages compromise the safety of their funds, their WhatsApp accounts and other social media profiles, as well as those of friends and family on their contact list.

The general public was thus advised to do the following when they receive such messages or hyperlinks:

Delete such messages upon receipt and desist from forwarding them to others.

Remove any member(s) on social media platforms from whom such messages are received as their accounts may have been compromise­d.

Verify with Bank of Ghana or other relevant authoritie­s, the licensing status of persons or entities, prior to depositing funds with them or patronizin­g their services.

Place deposits only with institutio­ns licensed by the Bank of Ghana, in order that they may be accorded the necessary protection under the applicable banking laws.

Review and familiariz­e themselves with Bank of Ghana’s notice on ‘Money Doubling’ and ‘Card Loading systems’ which can be found on the Bank’s website.

 ?? ?? Ernest Addison, Bank of Ghana Governor
Ernest Addison, Bank of Ghana Governor

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