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What are the warning signs of a romance scam in Ghana?

The clearest sign is a request for money, mobile money, airtime or gifts before you have ever met. Before that there is usually a pattern: very fast affection, a job that keeps the person far away and excuses not to video call.

Romance scammers follow a script. They find you on a dating app, Instagram or TikTok, move you to WhatsApp quickly and chat every day until you feel chosen. Then a problem appears that only your money can solve.

One sign on its own proves nothing. It is the combination, and above all the request for money, that should make you stop.

The signs to look for

  1. They say they love you before you have met or video called.
  2. Their job keeps them unreachable: abroad, on a ship, on a mission or a rig.
  3. Video calls never happen, or are short, dark and blurry.
  4. The profile is new, with few friends and very polished photos.
  5. A crisis appears and they ask for MoMo, airtime or gift cards.

Frequently asked questions

We have chatted for months. Can it still be a scam?
Yes. Scammers spend months on one person because they hope for a bigger payout. The length of the chat says nothing about whether the person is real.

Want to know if there are warning signs about the person you're chatting to? Veritaza checks the photos, the messages, the number, the email address, the name and the ID document, for GH₵25.

Check a person

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