The Bank of Ghana has issued a directive prohibiting the photocopying of Ghana Cards for banking transactions, emphasizing that biometric verification is now the mandatory standard for identity authentication. This move aims to enhance security and mitigate the risk of fraud in financial transactions. The central bank stressed that outdated verification methods, such as lookup lists and visual inspections, are prone to exploitation by fraudsters and will no longer be tolerated. Banks are now required to adopt biometric verification, which directly connects to the National Identification database to ensure a more secure authentication process.
Speaking at a stakeholder engagement in Accra, Mr. Ashitei Trebi-Ollennu, Deputy Head of Office under the Financial Integrity Office of the Bank of Ghana, clarified that banks were never authorized to photocopy Ghana Cards, as this practice creates opportunities for fraud. The event, themed “Protect Every Transaction with Biometric Verification,” was organized by Identity Management Systems II (IMS II) Ltd. and the National Identification Authority (NIA). It brought together key industry stakeholders, including the Bank of Ghana, the Ghana Association of Banks, and representatives from all 25 universal banks, reinforcing the urgent need for secure identity verification in Ghana’s financial sector.
