Don't Be Afraid of Fraudsters in Ghana (Part 2)

Most Ghanaian fraudsters aren't bad people.  The likes of romance scammers may have ethical issues when it comes to the pursuit of money, but they usually aren't the type of people you would describe as the epitome of evil.  They aren't the types of hardened criminals you more commonly find in places like the United States.

AMBITION & SURVIVAL IN GHANA

In anthropology, there's this concept called cultural relativism.  As a (cultural) anthropologist, one's job is to study foreign cultures by actually living within them - as would a native - for an extended period of time.  One thing I've learned living in Ghana is that people want and need money just as they do stateside, but the access to that type of cash just isn't here.  For instance, the government of Ghana doesn't have the wherewithal to borrow trillions of dollars, as its American counterpart does.

In the U.S., young, disenfranchised men who want to make money like grown-ups tend to get into enterprises like drug dealing.  They could usually get a legit job, but taking that route minimizes the opportunity of making thousands of dollars.

In Ghana, employment options are exponentially less appealing.  You can bust your ass - doing hard or exploitative manual labor - and barely make a living.  That's why the average Ghanaian doesn't so much dream of making it in Ghana as they do getting an opportunity to live and work abroad.  It's much more realistic to succeed financially in a foreign land than it is to do so domestically.

COMMON CRIMES IN THE USA VS. GHANA

Meanwhile, drug dealing isn't a big business in Ghana on the street level.  This country isn't officially engaged in a "War on Drugs", as has been going on for so many years stateside.  Nor is there the prevalence of drug abuse in Ghana like what you would witness in the States.  But the Ghanaian judicial system is still serving dudes hot plates of justice, even on basic marijuana charges.

America's "War on Drugs" arguably serves the purposes of fueling mass incarceration and systemic racism.  But when the man locks you up on a drug charge in Ghana, it's like they really have a negative perception of drugs.  I never heard of people out here being incarcerated to fill private prisons and stuff like that.

As for violent robbery, forget about it.  As far as I'm concerned, you'd have to be one of the bravest or most desperate men on Earth if you decide to be a mugger in Ghana.  If you're caught, there's no guarantee you'll even survive the trip to the police station.  And if you are lynched or die under mysterious circumstances, no one, including your own family, is likely to really give a damn.  What's more tolerable, yet still very much illegal and frowned upon by the mainstream, is online scamming.

So going back to cultural relativism, that ideology is premised on the fact that, as someone living in a foreign culture and especially someone from the First World residing in the Third, you'll inevitably come across common practices that are off-putting or go against the way you were raised.  But you also understand that people have different cultures, which are defined by how groups adapt and strive in their respective environments.  Disenfranchised Ghanaians don't have open access to drugs, and they aren't allowed to gangbang, but there is the internet, replete with vulnerable netizens.  And needless to say, it's not like Ghanaians are the only ones engaged in such enterprises.

BRIEF HISTORY OF GHANAIAN SCAMMING

Scamming, as practiced in Ghana, is believed to have its roots in Nigeria.  As generally understood, Nigerians brought the practice across the border.  Who knows if that's literally true, but it was Nigerians who proved it could be a viable business.  And this goes all the way back to the pre-internet, when such schemes relied more on snailmail and telephone.

I'm not trying to give the impression that anyone you communicate with remotely in Ghana who expresses some type of need or business venture is a fraudster.  That's far from the truth even though there are some people out there who seem to believe it.  If it were actually like that, the country wouldn't be able to stand.  But maybe sometimes, even a person who is legit can stretch things a bit.  Even if you aren't compelled to do it, there's always going to be someone around to try to push you in that direction, if they believe you can actually attract funds from abroad.

The average person in Ghana may not be a historian, but that doesn't mean they don't have a general understanding of the dynamics of the world economy.  They know, even if not by scholastic terms, of systems such as colonialism and neocolonialism.  They know that the wealth of richer nations is largely based on the exploitation of poorer ones, like Ghana.  Walter Rodney may have died young, but he did his job in terms of educating the world to those points.  And the fraudsters are able to use those facts to offset moral dilemmas they may experience due to the practice. 

Some scammers even idealize themselves as providing a needed service, i.e. development, to the African community.  Logic would dictate that the monies they bring into the country do make some kind of contribution.  In this part of the world, the informal economy is much larger than the formal.

But let's say that fraud, in and of itself, is not a profession that tends to bring out the best in people.  Scammers, like average citizens, are more inclined to floss than share.  Many may idealize themselves as Robin Hoods before they get the money, but once it does land, it's more often time to party.

GHANA'S REPUTATION TARNISHED BY SCAMMERS

The overwhelming majority of Ghanaians seeking non-immigrant entry into the United States are now only allowed to apply for single-entry up to three months.  The U.S. government noticed that many Ghanaian visa applicants were being dishonest, and these new limitations were apparently part of its overall response.

Besides, it's like every month these days you hear news of a major Ghanaian scammer being arrested.  A lot of times, these arrests happen in the United States.  Recently, the FBI even came to Ghana personally to bag a couple of dudes.  Such individuals are often known to commit scams and then floss their earnings on social media.  That's Black people for you, always wanting to show that they're richer than their neighbor.  I know; that's a stereotype that doesn't apply to all Blacks.  Most people who love money, regardless of race, are usually that way in the name of showing off.  But, you know what I mean.

The point being made is that in certain areas, regardless of how much money they may bring into the Motherland, scammers do more harm than good.  When Ghanaian fraudsters, even many common ones who just want to travel, start catching the attention of U.S. government, you have to question if, in the grand scheme of things, their actions are harming Africa as a whole.

TRUMP VS. GHANA

Traditionally, dating back to at least the late 20th century, the United States has arguably been cooler with Ghana than any other African country.  For instance, all five of the most-recent U.S. Presidential administrations have visited the Gateway to Africa.  That includes First Lady Melania Trump, who came over in 2018.

President Donald Trump, being who he is, instantly began attacking some African countries, in terms of travel and immigration restrictions, once his second administration commenced in January 2025.  Initially he targeted nations, in the name of "national security and public safety", which are more or less known for being either anti-American or in some state of internal disarray.  That was under Executive Order 14161.

More recently, as in last month (June 2025), the U.S. Department of State issued temporary travel bans on an additional 20 African countries.  On that list, surprisingly, was Ghana.  That's besides, arguably more shocking, the U.S. government having issued a travel advisory against GH back in April.

Said advisory basically pointed out that Ghana, in the U.S. government's opinion, is rife with violent crime.  I found that rationale somewhat hypocritical as, based on my experience, the United States is 1,000 times worst when it comes to the prospect of being assaulted, mugged, a victim of domestic violence, etc.  The advisory also acknowledged that fact in a way, by noting that "violent crimes" in Ghana especially tend to "(occur) at night and in isolated areas".  In other words, it's not like the U.S., where such things commonly transpire, even in broad daylight.

But as for the travel ban, what has rather been cited, most simply put, is the prevalence of fraud on behalf of Ghanaians applying for visas.  The U.S. Embassy recently called out Ghanaian visa applicants for being dishonest on their applications or overstaying their visits.  Then, less than two weeks later, the ban was announced.  So even though there was not a specific, official explanation as to why Ghana was added to the list, we can conclude, based on earlier statements made by the U.S. government, that it was more or less due to fraud, not violent tendencies or being a threat to U.S. national security.  That said, it doesn't appear that Ghana has been included an actual Executive Order signed by Trump.  Again, as it currently stands the travel ban is temporary.

CONCLUSION

The fact that the U.S. Department of State did not identify fraud amongst the pressing threats in Ghana when issuing that travel advisory says a lot.  Reports of fraud somehow being out of control in GH are exaggerated.  Yes, it's sad when you hear of some foreigner who believed in Ghana being cheated.  It's also upsetting that Ghanaian society is such that many people don't believe they can make it without being dishonest.  Those are the types of stories you're more likely to come across in the news or social media.

But the reality is, many more visitors are able to successfully setup shop.  Just yesterday, I met an old Ghanaian man whose family recently sold 100 acres of farmland to an African-American, no drama or anything like that involved. 

As I pointed out in the original post of this series, unless you're dealing with somebody you already know and trust, ample common sense must be exercised when it comes to making investments in Ghana.  This is even true for natives of the country.  The opportunities are plenteous.  So if one deal doesn't feel right, move onto the next rather than making a bad decision or becoming so upset that you give up.