Internet Dating Fraud Scam

Summary. U.S. Embassy Accra now receives as many as 15 requests per week from Americans all over the US who have lost anywhere from $1,000 to over $20,000 sending money to a fiancé, girlfriend, boyfriend or just a friend in Ghana who they met over the Internet.

 

Dating websites are very popular in the U.S. offering Americans the opportunity to meet other singles. However, the anonymity of the site allows criminals in Ghana to take advantage of unsuspecting American singles by forging fraudulent relationships and attempting to get money out of them. The majority of Americans who start an online relationship with a Ghanaian originally think they are corresponding with someone in the United States. Americans meet Ghanaians on all of the major dating websites and many of the more specialized chat rooms. Only after a relationship is formed does the correspondent inform the American that they are from Ghana.

 

Relationships last anywhere from 1-3 months before the Ghanaian correspondents ask for money. There are several generic stories that are used: death or illness in the family, need to escape an abusive situation, visa and travel expenses, or arrest by customs officials for smuggling gold. Regardless of the reason for the request, the American is usually so involved in the relationship that they send money on the first request. At this point, relationships have usually advanced from email to phone calls. Often, the American has spoken with the Ghanaian's "relatives" and/or visa broker and feels like a part of the family.

 

Some Americans start to question the relationship after they receive two or three requests for money and no visit. Many victims have noted that it is at this point when they found Embassy fraud warnings on the Internet. The majority of Ghanaian correspondents send pictures of themselves along with scanned copies of altered Ghanaian passports and U.S. visas to assure Americans of their existence and their intent to visit. Pictures are generally headshots taken from websites (the most notable coming from a Brazilian transsexual website).

 

The next and most lucrative step in the scam comes when the Ghanaian correspondent ostensibly leaves Ghana but is picked up by Ghanaian, British or Dutch immigration authorities. Usually, the American receives an email or phone call from their friend in prison asking for more money to bribe the officials to facilitate their release. We have had several cases where the "customs officer" has called the American directly. Since Ghana is known as the Gold Coast most Ghanaian correspondents are able to convince their American friend that they carry their inheritance in the form of gold bars that they will smuggle out of Ghana to start their new life in America. Many Americans believe this and have parted with as much as $10,000 in hopes of receiving millions of dollars worth of gold when their "friend" arrives in the U.S.

 

U.S. Embassy Accra is combating this fraud trend through providing additional information on its website, http://accra.usembassy.gov/, and by working closely with local police authorities. This has been useful in making Americans aware of the high level of fraud in Ghana and educating them on Internet fraud. The webpage offers information on the visa process and contact information for personnel at post who can assist in verifying visas that are used in the scam. Generally, Americans involved in this scam fall into two categories--they either do their homework or they do not. Those who do their homework check the Embassy webpage early in their relationship and lose only $100 - $3,000. Those who do not do their homework generally end up losing large amounts of money. Often, they contact the embassy only when their "friend" has been "arrested" at customs and they need embassy assistance.

 

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