A Ghanaian woman residing in Woodbridge, UK, has been implicated in a sprawling international romance scam known locally in Ghana as “sakawa,” a term synonymous with internet fraud.
The case, which spans three continents, has shed light on the sophisticated tactics employed by organized crime rings to exploit vulnerable individuals through online deception.
The investigation, spearheaded by forensic experts and scam-baiting specialists, zeroed in on a network of fraudsters accused of swindling victims out of substantial sums of money. Among the victims was Mark, a recently divorced man who believed he had found love again with a woman named Elaine. Their relationship, which began on a dating platform, quickly escalated with promises of marriage and declarations of love. Mark, convinced of Elaine’s authenticity, even purchased an engagement ring. “I did buy her a ring and kind of hinted at it to her,” he admitted.
However, the romantic facade crumbled when investigators uncovered that Elaine was a fabricated persona. The woman in the profile photos, identified as Claire, was an unwitting model whose images had been stolen from stock photo websites. “Claire has no idea this happened. She’s just a victim of someone stealing her images,” the investigative team clarified.
Mark’s trust in Elaine cost him dearly. He withdrew $37,000 from his retirement savings, sending the money to Elaine under the belief that she needed financial assistance to return from Japan, where she claimed to work at a Tesla battery plant. “I pulled money out of my retirement. I sent her $33,000 plus another $4,000 for the air ticket,” Mark revealed. Fortunately, his retirement fund intervened when the scammers demanded more money, preventing further losses.
To dismantle the scam, cybercrime experts devised a clever ruse: a fake banking website designed to lure the fraudsters into revealing their identities. The plan succeeded when two individuals registered on the site—a man named Derek from the UK and a woman named Sharon from Virginia. This breakthrough allowed investigators to prepare simultaneous confrontations with both suspects.
As part of the operation, David from Social Catfish posed as Mark during a phone call with Elaine, coaxing her into using the fake banking site. “I had to sexy myself up a little bit,” David joked afterward. Elaine, unaware of the ruse, eagerly played along, exclaiming, “Oh my God, am I really talking to you, Mark?” She promptly agreed to register on the site, saying, “Okay, I’ll send you the logins right now.”
While the U.S. team prepared to confront Sharon, Agent G9, an investigator in the UK, arrived at Derek’s listed address. The encounter was tense, with the individual inside denying any knowledge of Derek. Meanwhile, in the U.S., the team reached Sharon’s doorstep, engaging her in a heated exchange to determine her level of involvement in the scam. “We’re about to get Sharon’s side of the story, but with the help of a forensic expert, we’re going to prove concretely if she’s telling the truth,” investigators stated.
The case underscores the growing threat of online romance scams, which prey on emotional vulnerability and trust. As authorities continue to crack down on these schemes, victims like Mark serve as a stark reminder of the importance of vigilance in the digital age. The investigation remains ongoing, with further details expected to emerge as law enforcement works to bring all involved parties to justice.
