Ghana Arrests 48 Nigerians For Online Fraud, Romance Scams

Ghanaian authorities have announced the arrest of no fewer than 48 Nigerian nationals over their alleged involvement in online fraud.

The country’s Minister for Communication, Digital Technology & Innovations, Sam George, disclosed this on his X account on Wednesday.

He said a raid led to the arrest of "48 suspected cybercrime operations," with the suspects believed to be Nigerians, including two women.

According to him, “Once again, we have struck at the heart of cybercrime operations within our beloved Homeland.

“A nighttime operation led by the @CSAGhana in collaboration with the National Security and the @GhPoliceService has resulted in the arrest of 48 suspected cybercrime operatives during a coordinated intelligence-led operation in the Dawhenya area of the Ningo-Prampram Constituency.

“Those arrested are believed to be Nigerian nationals, based on preliminary interrogation, comprising 46 males and two females.

“The suspects are linked to a range of cyber-related criminal activities, including romance scams, online investment fraud, impersonation schemes, and illicit online gold trading.”

“Items retrieved during the operation included 54 laptops, 39 mobile phones, one Starlink internet device, and eight MTN TurboNet routers,” he added.

Officials say the Accra operation is part of a wider effort to protect the country’s digital and financial environment from organised cybercrime.

“We are committed to carrying out intelligence-led surgical strikes against these crime syndicates to ensure that we rid our cyber ecosystem of these criminals,” the minister said.

“Ghana welcomes everyone interested in legitimate enterprise. We will remain a hostile domain for cyber criminals.”

Earlier this year, nearly 800 people were arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in Lagos in a separate crackdown on online fraud, including about 150 Chinese nationals.