419 – Internet Dating Scams

 A special article from Ghana-pedia about the scourge of internet scams, Ghana's role in them, and how to be wary of such attempts to obtain your money

Think you are the victim of a scam ?

IF SO, READ THIS PAGE IN FULL FOR MORE INFORMATION, and also visit our:

Ghana-pedia Photo-ID Reference

Click Here

(Ghana-pedia's reference page containing photographs of females used in Ghana-based dating scams)

Ghana-pedia Scamfile Reference

Click Here

(Ghana-pedia reference page to real-life dating scams we have investigated in the past)

Internet Dating Scams are on the rise throughout West Africa, with Ghana gaining unfortunate notoriety as one of source countries for this crime. The motive for this crime is usually financial, with the purpetrator (a.k.a. scammer) running multiple profiles that are fraudulent, with false names, documents & photographs, in order to capture their victims by convincing them to supply financial support.

While dating scams can & do occur in every country, the two countries that are gaining a certain notoriety are Ghana & Nigeria. In spite of this, it is statisically proven that more internet scams actually originate in the United States & United Kingdom, and we can only assume that it is the nature of the scams, or the sums that are lost in the process, that seem to enhance such notoriety.

On this page, you will find information & examples to assist in helping you detect a dating scam, including topics on how scams operate (and actual tactics used), why scams are so successful in operating in Ghana, and information on how law enforcement works in Ghana.

This page features this link to our photo-montage reference page, which has a comprehensive photo-lineup for commonly-used pictures of those people, both female & male, whose identity is stolen, and whose photographs are used in dating scams. Furthermore, we have included several special windows devoted to those who are notoriously & very widely used, in many cases accounting for many thousands of lost dollars, euros, or pounds in lost money. You will also find stories of actual cases involving scammers & victims, tips on what to look for when trying to establish whether a scam in occuring, and how you can contact us for an appraisal based on the information you have available.

If you are reading this reference page, it is likely that you are concerned about being scammed yourself, or have a friend or relative who may currently or have previously been scammed.

We ask that you read the full information on this page, and also recommend reading our Ghana-pedia Scam-file reference page, which profiles what has occured in real-life dating scam cases. Another one-stop way of potentially being able to quickly identify a scammer is by visiting our montage pages for female & male photographs, which contains over fifty separate photographs of commonly-used scammers.

Please closely inspect all photographic material, and read all the researched material on this page to assist you in determining if you are dealing with a scammer - sometimes the information you require is on this very page !

You can potentially save yourself from massive losses, or prevent further financial loss right now !

Note that we have had cases where the victim's immediate reactions are to send scammers the weblink to anti-scam websites, such as this webpage, to illustrate what they have learned.

We strongly recommend that you do not relay the webpage link to scammers, as it destroys any attempt to further investigate cases, and any tactical advantage in learning their true identity is all but lost. While anyone can access this webpage, this information is published to help current & future victims of scams - alerting scammers to it's existence merely helps them to refine their tactics further.

Sadly, Ghana is now inextricably linked to a number of various financial & dating scams, a reputation that would take decades to repair even if every scam originating from Ghana was to cease from today. Each time a scam originates from Ghana, individual gain is traded for the reputation of the country, sabotaging Ghana's efforts to develop tourism, trade, and investment opportunities.

An Overview Of Dating Scams

A typical dating scam involves using bogus photographs of models to create profiles for dating sites from around the World, usually ranging from low-quality & heavily pixelated photographs, to high quality studio shots. Some of the scammers obtain multiple shots of the same model, supposedly adding credibility to the claim that they are "genuine", as the scammer is able to supply almost limitless photographs on the request of their victim. The scammer provides basic information to fool their victim into believing that the profile they have created is legitimate.

This picture was used in a scam originating from Ghana. The victim in this case was actually the Ghana-pedia co-administrator Peter Morris in 2006, before he had travelled to Ghana. The profiler was seeking a western man for a relationship, and Peter had been in contact for a few months, where he received several photographs that didn't attract any suspicion, and had even purchased his first ticket to travel to Ghana, when he received this photograph. Analysing this photograph, we can see that :-

From this analysis, the conclusion drawn is that while other ethnicities do live in Ghana and have thrived there for some time, it is likely that the photograph, as well as around ten other shots of same girl, have been saved from another website, or obtained some other way, and used by a scammer to fool unsuspecting men (such as Peter) into contacting her based on her obvious beauty. The young lady in the photograph is most likely unaware that this shot has been used by an unscrupulous criminal element in a dating scam.

Interestingly, it was this photograph & profile that alerted Peter to the fact that the profile was likely a scam, and indeed, the extent of such scams occuring in Ghana. Despite making contact with a local Ghanaian, Eli, who quickly confirmed Peter's suspicions that it was a scam, Peter nontheless decided to travel to Ghana for the first time, where he & Eli met, and decided to develop Ghana-pedia !

The target is generally Westerners, particularly from the United States, United Kingdom, European Union countries, and Australia/New Zealand. Generally, the victims are male, looking for online relationships, and discover or are discovered by a "girl" interested in a relationship, although rarer cases that target women also exist. The purpetrators are quite often MEN, hiding behind the pics and operating out of internet cafes in West Africa, including Ghana, in order to steal from innocent people. In many cases, a female who is aware of the basic parameters of the scam provides the voice over the phone, and may be person behind the emails & instant messages, but is operating under the direction of someone else.

Our experience in investigating the cases where the profile is a female scamming a male shows that quite often, and family member or friend who is male is introduced into the plot at some point - and we have concluded that in all probability, it is this person that actually masterminds scam. For example, victims are often instructed to send money to this persons account, or to send wire transfers to them, which amazingly, does not arouse suspicion in a lot of cases.

It is almost certainly the case that the models whose photographs appear on the profiles that are set up to attract victims are not aware that their image has been obtained for fraudulent purposes, and are indeed victims of a kind of 'identity theft' themselves.

Ironically, most Ghanaians are very honest, and detest 419 scams as much as anyone else, because they are aware that such activities do nothing to further Ghana's reputation to the rest of the World. But, while it is seen as shameful by many Ghanaians, there seems to be little action in terms of local attempts to detect scammers and hold them to account.

We are often asked why scammers do scam their victims - the obvious answer is because it provides a lucrative way to obtain large sums of money for comparitively little work, but to quantify this, we must explain that while Ghana is a lovely place to visit, and people generally very friendly, there are still major issues with things like unemployment & under-employment, let alone the very low average wage in Ghana.

Many Ghanaians do not have regular employment, and instead turn to things like street hawking and other de-regulated forms of employment to make any kind of living. For example, it is common to see roadside hawkers selling satchets of purified water for approximately five cents each. When you consider that this is not pure profit from the product being sold, you can imagine how many satchets of water would need to be sold just to eek out a few dollars of income per day.

We certainly do not condon it at all, as it often leaves victims gutted, but to reconcile why it occurs, it is not hard to see why some Ghanaians may look at alternative ways to make more considerable amounts of money, and given that to carry out an internet scam essentially takes internet access, and possibly some knowledge of editing photographs & documents, don't have any qualms from obtaining these funds under false pretences from more affluent people outside of Ghana.

How You Can Detect A ‘Scammer’

 So you might have been in contact with a scammer, but you are not entirely sure ?

We recommend that you do the following:

In the best case scenario, a fraudulent profile may be spotted using a common sense approach, and by using the details you collect and doing some investigation of your own. The best place to try is online, as there are many websites that offer excellent blogs about past & present scams. Sometimes, such profiles can even be detected immediately based on the text or photograph. Put yourself in the shoes of a "scammer" - how could you trap a victim into believing a fraudulent profile ?

Click Here to visit the Ghana-pedia Scam-File to see real scam cases originating from Ghana

Sadly, it is usually as easy as having a photograph of a man or woman, typically young and attractive. It is common to find scams operating based on photographs of the same person across multiple dating websites, thus giving the scammer a wider base of potential victims.

Photographs: Real or Stolen ?

Does the profile you have located look too good to be true ?

Sadly, it probably is. Many of the photographs that appear on dating sites are stolen from other websites, particularly those related to modelling. The vast majority of photographs that are studio-style or resemble modelling photographs should be immediately regarded with extreme caution, although there may be cases where the photographs are in fact genuine.

While there are a plethora of genuine Ghanaians, male or female, that would be considered highly attractive to a prospective relationship-seeker, most genuine profiles display photographs that are either casual or outdoor shots. A more positive sign might be such a photograph, taken on low-powered cameras featured on mobile phones (after all, it is common for a Ghanaian to own a mobile phone). Photographs that appear to be scanned are more questionable, as the majority of Ghanaians that use the internet would do so from an internet cafe, and services such as scanning & printing cost extra, where as obtaining a file from a device via USB cable would be cheaper and easier.

On many occasions, the ethnicity of the people appearing in the photographs is also questionable, with Latin, Asian, or even Caucasian persons appearing as "Ghanaians", completely unlike the appearance of the average Ghanaian. However, this does not count the person out completely - Ghana has it's share of ex-pats from a wide variety of countries, however, it is striking how many fraudulent profiles with Asian or Caucasians claiming to live in Ghana are shown on dating websites, and equally striking that this is often not questioned.

Indeed, it is amazing in our experience how common it is for victims to easily accept that a Caucasian or Asian girl is living in Ghana. The most common non-indigenous groups in Ghana are Lebanese, Chinese, and Indians, followed by ex-pat British & Americans, and also from EU countries. However, in the scheme of things, all these groups would not even make up 5% of Ghana's entire population.

 Another pattern amongst the victims we have seen is that they are often men who have received profiles of very beautiful 'Ghanaians' that are alledgedly from one of the non-indigenous groups above, and they get a string of photographs that appear to be modelling shots (as mentioned above). It is staggering how many victims do not question this from the very onset. To illustrate, do a search for group model photographs on the internet, and you be surprised at how incredibly easy  they are to find.

Click Here to visit the Ghana-pedia Scam-File to see more stolen photographs from real scam cases originating from Ghana

The best way to assess the validity of a photograph is to not look so much at the person, but the surroundings. Take a look at the pictures of Ghana we have on our website, and ask yourself if it matches up. Indoor photographs can tell a story as to how someone lives (ie, they might claim to not be well off, but the photograpsh show new shoes and clothes, fresh carpets, modern fittings,etc), but outdoor shots are often the best evidence. We are often sent photographs claimed to have been taken in Accra, for example, but nothing in the background of the photo corresponds with any part of Accra that we have seen (and there isn't much of Accra we haven't seen).

Online Profiles

Commonly, the profiles tell either a hard-luck story, or give very little information at all. Anyone looking to contact a profile should look past the original information that is listed, and concentrate on establish the legitimacy of the person. Some profiles even ask straight out for money - it is strongly suggested to treat all such profiles as suspect.

This is a profile from a notorious scammer, believed to be operating from Ghana (based on the research of several anti-scam websites). Although the website administrators have marked this profile with the tag "scammer", we will use it for the purposes of our study. 

From this analysis, this legitimate photograph has clearly been hijacked from one of many websites which show modelling photographs off Julie Yuliana, and used to create a phoney profile. It is almost certainly created for the reason of soliciting funds out of unsuspecting victims who are not aware that these photographs are of a legitimate American model. The synopsis of this profile is such that it would highly appeal to men in the specified age group, and likely to have had many 'hits' before being identified as a scam profile. This profile also demonstrates that while a scammer may be based in Ghana, and likely stick to a general rule of being based in Ghana or other West African countries for continuity of the image they are trying to portray, this is not always the case.

If you do contact, we strongly suggest that any names, email address, or other relevant details that are supplied are subject to rigorous investigation. To start, we strongly suggest that all these details are checked via a browser search to see if these are identified by the many anti-scam websites that are currently in operation to see if the details have surfaced before in internet scams. It is important to not let the person you are in contact with that you are checking these details, but rather do these searches as a cursorary check to see if these details have a history.

Instant Love

If you contact one of these profiles, it is often amazing how quickly the person replying "falls in love" with the victim. A genuine person can also fall in love with the thought of someone quickly without actually meeting them, but if you contact a profile, be wary of how quickly the person develops an emotional dependance on you. If the person you are in contact with is "in love" within the first five contacts you have, then you should again treat the profile with extreme caution.

Frequency Of Contact 

Are you getting a daily email ?..... unfortunately, this is another negative. Many Ghanaians do not have personal computers, and rely on internet access by visiting one of the many internet cafes that have sprung up all over Ghana. Generally, although the internet craze is highly popular in Ghana, many Ghanaians would not have the means or the desire to use the internet on a daily basis.

However, scammers are likely to have sufficient funds, probably misappropriated from their victims, in order to obtain a personal computer and internet connection.

Money Requests

Does he or she need money for the cost of living, education, or travel-related costs ?..... These requests, particularly in the first dozen or so emails, should be virtually always seen as an attempted "scam". Some start as a simple request - the person listed in the profile is apparently in love, and wants to travel to see you, or wants you to come to their country to marry, but they need a passport. This is a very simple scam - it might only be $100us, but if the "scammer" gets 2-3 such "scams" occuring, they would live quite well in any location in West Africa. Another simple request for money might be so that the person has the means to contact again, and while on occasion this may prove true, it is advised to treat most cases like this with caution. Even worse, some victims pay regular payments to support their "love" comfortably until such time that they are ready to travel to meet them.

 We see a lot of cases where the photographs are showing new homes, fresh carpets, new clothes, yet the profiler claims they need money for hospital bills, internet payments, passports, and all sorts of requests. Stop and think about it - they can afford all this stuff, but cannot afford these requests ???

To summarize - DO NOT SEND MONEY TO SOMEONE WHOSE IDENTITY IS NOT ESTABLISHED !

You Have More Questions Than Answers

You've contacted on dozens of occasions, but you've still got questions that you ask in an email, but they never get answered satisfactorily, if at all....... "Scammers" will generally skip the direct questions that are too difficult or inconvenient for them to answer without sabotaging their own efforts to find a victim. If you are emailing questions, but either no attempt to answer, or an unlikely or unsatisfactory answer is given, then the profile should be considered highly suspect.

In fact, 'scammers' often will save their own time by having a bunch of generic texts they will use that is just copied and pasted, with a bunch of filler about a variety of subjects that are out of sync, and will just throw in a few lines in between that are specific to the victim to make them believe the contact is genuine. Often, the emails are even sent with different fonts, so you can even distinguish the copy & paste waffle that you have been sent from the specific stuff !!!

Official Documents: Real or Fake ?

In many cases, scammers can supply official documents in order to 'support' their case. These can include scanned pages of a Ghanaian passport, or other official identity papers like the proof of identity document, or a driver's licence.

This is a scanned Ghanaian passport page, which was sent to 'verify' someone's identity (we have sabotaged it to prevent further misuse). From this passport, we can see that :-

From this analysis, the conclusion drawn is that this passport is clearly edited to dupe the intended victim into believing it is a genuine document, in an attempt to support their fraudulent claim.

To the casual observer, they may seem legitimate, but often the information has been 'photoshopped' (edited) to appear genuine. Be sure to scrutinize the font and the coat-of-arms stamps on such documents, as they are often still show tell-tale signs that they have been altered. Be wary of font variations on documents, and of the photographs on passports. Seals, Republic of Ghana coat-of-arms can be obtained from scanning official documents or from online government sites, as can logos for official Ghanaian departments, such as the Ghana Police, and Immigration Department.

Amazingly, some faked passport pages appear to have been supplied with a highly unlikely identification photograph edited in place of the genuine photograph - would a passport photo show what appears to be an outdoor or modelling shot ?

Asking The Right Questions

There are simple ways in which you can establish whether or not a profile is legitimate for yourself.

You may start by asking for more photographs, but instruct the profiler to send private photographs, not studio shots. For example, pictures of the profiler with her family, friends, etc. In many examples, a "scammer" will not provide such pictures, as they don't have them, and cannot supply them. If you get a bunch of excuses as to why they cannot be supplied, it's not a good sign. More recently, we have seen photographs where the purpetrators have edited/photoshopped the person they are identifying themselves as into family shots, and in some cases, we have even been able to detect that an outdoor shot of this person has been edited into an indoor photograph !

However, just because they are supplied, we suggest that you continue to research them, and all other background information you are supplied. Getting a mobile/cell phone number offers no guarantees - every one in Ghana seems to have a mobile/cell phone, and a new SIM card is available on almost any street corner in Accra or any of the regional capitals.

Ghanaian phone numbers start with the country code +233, so if the number you are given does not have this country code, it is not a Ghanaian-based phone number, but if it is a mobile/cell phone number, it is impossible to track the source of the call. However, it is an alarming trend that people often accept that their contact is legitimate simply because they have spoken to them - just because you have a Ghana-based telephone number, it by no means confirms the person's identity. If you have a home telephone number, that is a little better evidence, as these are all account based with telecommunication companies such as Vodafone.

 A booth selling SIM cards & phone credits in Accra - we cannot stress enough how easy it is for scammers to buy limitless SIM cards to use in scams, allowing them to take on various fake personas to scam money from unsuspecting victims, and even masquerade as a legitimate business or organization, as if to "confirm" their stories.

Please be aware that phone numbers are absolutely no proof - in Ghana, booths & stalls selling new SIM cards and phone credits are on nearly every street in the major cities, and a new SIM card is less than $2(us).

The best way to substantiate a profile is by using an independent party based in Ghana to verify the profiler's authenticity, and confirm via a perosnal meeting . Rather than paying out money to a "scammer", look at either finding a trustworthy local contact or organization in Ghana to investigate the person's authenticity, either by using discreet or non-discreet methods. An example of this is to ask your investigator to meet the profiler at a public place, and arrange your investigator verify identification documents and/or take photographs, or even telephone when they are with the profiler.

Internet Dating v Going To Ghana

We strongly recommend that for someone not based in Ghana, but are keen to meet a Ghanaian-based person for a dedicated relationship, the best way for you to meet someone is to actually travel to Ghana. Not only are there plenty of great places to visit in Ghana, you are sure to meet honest Ghanaians from either sex who are single, available, and keen to find a life partner.

We often find that the victims of relationship scammers have sent significant funds in order for this 'person' to travel to their own country. While what someone does with their money is their own business, it is surprising how often we have found that a victim has sent funds in a way that cannot be tracked, trusting that the 'person' will travel to meet them. We suggest that aside from the massive financial risk involved, it is sometimes very difficult for a Ghanaian to obtain a travel visa, even when they have the ability to purchase the ticket.

Furthermore, you should not invest your time & energy into meeting someone online, only to find out that they are not your ideal partner when you finally do travel. It is strongly recommended that if you are looking to develop a relationship with a Ghanaian, that you travel to Ghana in person, and meet prospective partners in person.

Regardless of whether you travel to Ghana or not,  owing to the impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic on societies worldwide, including Ghana, that you act safely and responsibly with any potential sexual partner.

Risks In Travelling To Ghana

Travelling within Ghana itself is relatively safe - the general attitude of the population is very relaxed & accepting, and it is regarded as one of the safest countries to visit in all of Africa. In fact, in the rare case that foul play occurs in Ghana, it is usually the type of crime that can happen at any tourism destination in the World, and the chances that it will occur are often no greater than in these destinations in the World.

However, if you decide to travel to meet someone you have not met in person before, you may be at risk if you are being met at Kotoka International Airport by your contact, or people representing them, and they are not legitimate. Although relatively infrequent, kidnappings & muggings have been known to occur after meeting your contact and leaving the airport on occasion.

We strongly recommend that you take steps for your own personal security if you are travelling to meet someone in Ghana, such as making your own accommodation arrangements, alerting your country's embassy/commission of your visit, and regularly checking in with your friends & family at home. We would also recommend meeting your contact with a local guide, and in a public place, so you can ascertain whether or not it is a legitimate contact, and to better assess any potential threat to your personal safety.

Doing things such as having your mobile/cell phone set to roaming is strongly recommended so you can remain in contact with people at all times, as is making your own arrangements to get to your hotel, and booking the hotel yourself. We also recommend finding an alternate contact or guide in Ghana who can offer to meet you when you arrive.

We strongly recommend that if you are staying in a hotel that offers a shuttle service, to make the arrangement to meet with them at the airport, and to have their contact details handy in the event that they are not there to meet you when you arrive. In such cases, you should have to address & directions handy so that you can arrange a taxi, if required.

Gay Travellers

As homosexuality is illegal in Ghana, gays, particularly men, are emerging as a high-risk group to be targeted by scammers. However, while the previously-mentioned issues of scammers posting false identities exist, an added danger lurks for gay travellers to Ghana.

We have been advised from the author of an excellent article on the website, Squidoo, of a particularly nasty series of gay dating scams, where foreign homosexuals are lured to Ghana, and meet their scammers on arrival at Kotoka International Airport. There have been cases where these victims have been met, and after leaving the airport, are robbed of all their possessions, and in some cases, brutally beaten at the hands of scammers. Others have been blackmailed by scammers, on the threat of being turned over to the authorities.

Sadly, as law enforcement in Ghana often places more emphasis on the crime of homosexuality, rather than the crime of blackmail & extortion purpetrated by the scammer, gay travellers should take extra care in their preparations before travelling.

To visit the article on Squidoo, please click here.

It's The Nigerians - Fact Or Fiction ?

A myth surrounding cybercrime that circulates Ghana is that scams originating from Ghana are almost exclusively purpetrated by ex-patriot Nigerians. While there is little doubt that such scams have originated from Nigeria in the past, and that many such crimes most likely continue in Nigeria presently, this is merely a generalization on the part of Ghanaians, most likely based the highlighting of cases where ex-patriot Nigerians have been apprehended, exacerbating certain prejudices.

While there is also some evidence that Nigerian criminal organizations have operated, and continue to operate from Ghana, it is highly unlikely that this crime is exclusive to Nigerians or Nigeria, or even just to Nigerians who reside in Ghana. Internet dating scams are inextricably linked to some particular countries, but in reality, they can originate from any internet user in the World. In fact, in cases where scammers have been apprehended, there has actually been little evidence of any Nigerian involvement - the scammers have almost always been proven to be Ghanaian citizens.

Dating Scams & The Law In Ghana - THE FACTS !

Dating scams, as with other attempts to obtain money under false pretences (such as the annoying & largely debunked "get rich quick" chain emails that continue to arrive in email inboxes everywhere) are illegal.

However, while the Ghana Police have announced the creation of a cybercrime unit to belatedly tackle the crime, it is largely unpoliced, as the available evidence often leaves positively identifying scammers almost impossible. Many factors play right into the hands of the scammers:

Therefore, this webpage is designed to assist people in identifying scams, and taking the appropriate action, rather than leaving our readers with the expectiation that we have the ability to apprehend scammers. We are quite willing to comment on your case, and as reported above, we suggest that we are are sent photographs, documentation, and all information so we can comment on cases.

We do highlight that we are not affiliated with law enforcement or any kind of detective service in Ghana, and are in no position to apprehend scammers ourselves. We have relayed information to the Ghana Police/CID on occasion, and in some cases arrests have been made, but this is usually in cases where losses are extremely high on the victim's behalf. This website generates no income from it's liaisons with investigators who intend to pursue the cases*, and those victims wishing to do so must be aware that pursuing these cases is neither a free,fast, or guaranteed service.

*At the time of writing, this website generates no income, as we have no business sponsorship or companies advertising on our site.

Is He/She Travelling To Meet You ?

We are often sent dubious visa details, which have been forwarded to victims by dating scammers who are sending this kind of information to 'verify' their circumstances.

However, one can often tell, as with the passport above, when the information on a passport has been edited to suite the scammer's MO. Giveaways are often the Name & Date fields of the paperwork, because these areas on official documentation often show signs of being tampered. While a little hard to explain here, often the text used to replace the original information appears slightly different, and should be compared to the text used for areas that scammers are unlikely to edit, such as the passport/visa number (as this does not have any relevance, and you are unlikely to verify that this administrative number is legitimate with your immigration department).

If you are considering meeting someone you have met over the internet, it is strongly suggested you go to Ghana, and not send the money to bring the person to your country.

For one reason, even if the person is legitimate, and they have bought a valid ticket, it may not be all they need. I have recently learned personally of how difficult your immigration department may make it to obtain a tourist visa.

The Ol' Visa Blues: A Personal Experience

In the experience of Ghana-pedia co-administrator, Peter Morris, his very real Ghanaian girlfriend applied for a tourist visa for a six week visit to Australia, to visit family & tour Australia, at the end of which, she would return to Ghana. He would then return to Ghana in April 2010.

  Ghana-pedia co-administrator Peter Morris enjoys dinner with his girlfriend, Gina, at Mamma Mia Ristorante in the Osu district of Accra, Ghana, in January 2009. We recommend that any person looking for a relationship with a Ghanaian citizen to visit Ghana themselves, not only to enjoy what the country itself has to offer, but to make sure that in the event of commencing a relationship, to be absolutely sure that they have correctly chosen their life partner.

However, his girlfriend's initial request for a tourist visa was rejected by the Australian immigration officials (DIAC - Department of Immigration and Citizenship) in the visa section in Nairobi, Kenya. This is because despite having employment to return to, a pre-paid return ticket from Ghana to Australia, and significant personal funds to travel with, she was considered by DIAC, based on the plethora of confirmed information provided, to be a 'flight risk' (that is, a risk of remaining in Australia illegally beyond her intended visit). This decision shocked & appalled both Peter & his girlfriend, and indeed their friends & family in both Ghana & Australia, as there was never any intention at all that this would ever occur, and was therefore not even considered as a reason for the claim's possible rejection when it was lodged.

There was no actual evidence to support the rejection of the visa....on the contrary, all the evidences provided should have led any rational person reviewing the case to conclude it was a short term trip - DIAC simply thought it up for themselves as a reason to reject the application !

You should be aware that the immigration officials who are assessing your application on behalf of your home country may be just as tough as DIAC, and it is unlikely that some Ghanaian guy/girl will simply tap-dance their way into the local visa section of your embassy/commission, and get a visa granted easily. In scam cases, the scammers have nontheless made the process seem trivial, and have even sent photoshopped/edited "evidence" that they have obtained a visa.

  The rejection letter received by Peter's girlfriend, Gina, for an application for a tourist visa to visit Peter in Australia for a trip planned for six weeks in duraiton. While the position of DIAC might be considered in the extreme in the case of visa offices in general, it demonstrates that despite supplying a plethora of clear information to support the applicant's claims, the application can still be rejected for reasons that might never have been anticipated. In this case, Gina's claim was rejected for the reason that her application did not demonstrate that she would return to Ghana, and may remain illegally in Australia, despite supplying a paid return flight itinerary, and evidence that she was making a one-way trip to the city of embarkation two days prior to her scheduled departure from Australia !

For a successful visa application, you will likely need to demonstrate your full support, and, in the case of a temporary visa, the applicant will likely have to demonstrate their intention to return to Ghana. While it may represent the extreme, in the experience of Peter's Ghanaian girlfriend, immigration officials need to be provided with enough information to counter any reasons that your immigration deparment may provide to argue that the applicant will not use their visa contrary to it's intended use once they enter your country (ie, enter on a tourist visa, but remain illegally). 

 Peter's girlfriend was rejected for predictably 'official' reasoning, with references to the number of Ghanaians who overstay their welcome on visas, and even the economic situation in Ghana, quoted as being incentive enough for his girlfriend not to return, although his girlfriend had never left Ghana, and was on paid holiday leave from her employer. While it was established that his girlfriend was gainfully employed in Ghana, and had a secure & supporting environment of friends & family, highlighting for DIAC was quite simply not the case, the case was nontheless rejected - therefore, other applicants in the same position might face an uphill battle just to get a visa !

While getting a tourist visa is not given much thought when an applicant is from a developed country, it is a totally different paradigm when it comes to an applicant from the developing world to get a visa to one of the developed nations. It certainly seems to depend on the country the applicant is travelling to, but as a guide, if Australia's immigration procedures represent the average procedure for applying to a western country, obtaining a visa might not be as obligatory as what you might think !

Ghana-pedia's Future Vision: A Scam-Free Dating Webpage

Eventually, Ghana-pedia intends to commence a new dating page that is intended to filter out the genuine profilers from the fraudulent ones, by using various methods of confirmation for a profiler. One method will be to meet with a Ghana-pedia representative personally, or use methods such as supplying authenticated identification details.

Ghana-pedia also intends to simplify cases where an international would like to meet a Ghanaian national via our website by helping to make arrangements for the first meeting, thus limiting the risk of being subject to criminal elements either over the internet, or on the ground in Ghana.

Before any money is even considered to be sent, we will strongly advise that you contact us, and we will be able to make some preliminary enquiries about the authenticity of the person you are contacting.

Ghana-pedia will also feature disclaimers about the existence of internet dating scams. Identified scam profiles will be immediately deleted, and the email addresses will be blocked. Details of scam profiles may also be submitted to the Ghana Police for investigation.

Readers have left 11 comments.

No.11  need help

can i arange some one to meet some one in accurra ghana if so how and how much would it cost?

John (Unregistered) • 2009-03-31 00:44:44

No.10  love seeker

Hello i meet agirl online and she is from ghana accra ok and i hope to herfrom some one like me about their experince ok the girl i meet had a add i a european dating service ok and she have sended me plenty of photos of her and her house and her parents and brother to ho lives in england and he have mailed me too but i,m not really now if this for real but i hope it is she tells me that she wont hurt me and she phones me much so i hear her voice i hope to talk with someone as me about their experinence ok hope to get a replay and how can i check on identety of the girl can i do it online somewere???and i have her adress and home phone ok

T (Unregistered) • 2009-03-15 08:55:25

No.9  ghana nii ba pa

I must apologize to all those who lost their monies to this scammers but some time i do wonder what makes do that it love, romance,stupidity or what? how can you send you hard earn monies to someone you do not know that you just met him or her on the internet? Next think twice before doing anything stupid. But please be mindful that those who are doing that are not really Ghanaians, they are Nigerian who have moved to reside in Ghana after they have soiled the name of their country. I advice you let these smiley the your guideline

kwaku manu (Unregistered) • 2009-02-28 07:54:44

No.8  mr

THANKS PETER AND ELE
YOU SAVE ME FROM THOUSNDS OF DOLLARS BY IVESTIGATING THIS SCAM I NEARLY GOT CAUGHT IN THIS IS A WARNING TO OTHERS BE VERY CAREFULL SOME THESE ONLINE DATING SERVICES THAT OPERATE OUT OF GHANA ARE VERY WELL COMPOSTED AND YOU CAN GET SCAMED VERY EASY

graham klippel (Unregistered) • 2009-02-24 05:46:48

No.7  NEED HELP

I have a women by the name of Samed ADam. I Wood like to no if she is reel or not,I have phone#and amy adress again is Samed Adam, 00233, GHANA, West-Africa KNT_A54, Koforidua-Ghana, Kotoko Street,her phone# 233247428077 and 233277775370. TY GREG E

GREG E (Unregistered) • 2009-01-18 17:48:21

No.6  mr

The picture taken of the "Asian" girl was indeed taken in New York City. The Brooklyn Bridge is in the background.

dk (Unregistered) • 2008-12-23 18:13:53

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No.5  Benjamin:

Benjamin, because you got your partner from Ghana you think there is scam going on in Western Africa? I wish you were right! I am however sorry there are even men who pretend to be women looking for other men on whom they can play their tricks.

There are a few doing this in West Africa. I hope you are being honest when you say you do not know about this. Hope you're not one of them...lol... hahaha!!!

Joe (Unregistered) • 2008-11-13 03:30:14

No.4  I got my mate from Ghana

I dont think there is scam going on in Western Africa

Benjamin Wayne (Unregistered) • 2008-11-12 18:20:11

No.3  Mr.

looking for a friend

george (Unregistered) • 2008-11-01 14:54:54

No.2  Obroni Peter

No problem Roberto & Zeaba Labaran,

We are glad to assist, and hope that you are wary of such attempts. We would like to make clear that this is a small criminal element in Ghanaian society, and honest Ghanaians themselves dislike these elements every bit as much as the honest victims of internet scammers.

Good luck and stay safe -

Regards

Peter

Peter Morris - Ghana-pedia (Unregistered) • 2008-10-31 07:08:56

No.1  Mr.

Thank you for the information. Best regards Roberto

Roberto (Unregistered) • 2008-10-13 03:44:51

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