Ouagadougou: The Central Brigade for the Fight against Cybercrime (BCLCC) recorded more than 13,000 complaints of all offenses between 2020 and 2024, resulting in losses of more than 5 billion CFA francs, the brigade's communications manager, Guesrima Aim© Ou©draogo, said on Thursday.

According to Burkina Information Agency, Guesrima Aim© Ou©draogo, communications officer of the Central Cybercrime Brigade, highlighted that from 2020 to 2024, the BCLCC documented 13,432 complaints related to various offenses, with damages surpassing 5 billion CFA francs. Ou©draogo shared these insights during the New Media Forum's first edition in Ouagadougou.

Ou©draogo specified that the complaints primarily pertain to account hacking, Facebook page hacking, and identity theft. Additionally, they involve information and communication technology scams, defamation, and public insults. In response to these offenses, 221 individuals or alleged offenders have been arrested and brought before the courts.

The communications officer emphasized the inconvenience caused to victims, impacting their reputation and the credibility of their platforms. He urged users to protect themselves against cyber attacks by securing their data with strong passwords and firewalls.

Ou©draogo affirmed that the services offered by the BCLCC are free and accessible to all citizens. He encouraged citizens to reach out to the organization for data protection needs or in the event of cyber attacks to recover their data or platforms.

The BCLCC, established on February 14, 2020, is primarily tasked with combating cybercrime across the country.