Policy think tank IMANI Africa has raised serious concerns about the Electricity Company of Ghana’s (ECG) new franchise officer deployment, warning that the current manual verification methods leave customers dangerously vulnerable to sophisticated fraud.
In a tech policy brief by IMANI Technology Policy Analyst John Sitsofe Mensah, the institute argues that relying on physical ID cards and paper authorization letters creates a “visual trust fallacy” — a major loophole that fraudsters can exploit through forged branding and social engineering.
Key vulnerabilities highlighted:
Physical IDs are easily forged with high-quality spoofing that mimics ECG branding
Expecting customers to call the busy hotline (0302611611) while a stranger waits at the gate is unrealistic and often bypassed under pressure
Fraudsters commonly use threats of immediate disconnection to rush payments or gain access
IMANI warns that without stronger digital safeguards, the franchise initiative — intended to improve billing and revenue — could unintentionally become a tool for organized crime.
Proposed digital authentication solutions:
QR Scan via ECG Power App — Customer scans officer’s ID to see real-time photo and authorization status
*USSD Lookup (226#) — Allows non-smartphone users to verify staff ID instantly
Geofence SMS alerts — Automatic messages to households when authorized billing is active in their area
Immediate customer protection steps recommended by IMANI:
ECG should publicly display and explain exactly what a valid officer ID looks like
Aggressively reinforce the “no cash on-site” rule through all communication channels
Fast-track and widely promote the staff lookup feature on USSD to protect vulnerable groups
IMANI concludes that without these urgent upgrades, the rollout risks serious financial harm to households and damage to public trust in ECG.
The concerns come as franchise officers begin operating across districts from February 2026. ECG has not yet publicly responded to the policy brief.
