It usually starts as a fairytale romance and ends lonely ever after, in betrayal and financial ruin.
Across the country, romance scams are on the rise, with fraudsters preying on vulnerability, trust and the desire to be loved.
Grace Hammoah Agyemang In this report, finds out how these scams work, and how you can protect your heart and your wallet.
When British Musician, Ed Sheeran said people find love in mysterious ways, it included finding love also, online.
Popular Nigerian Gospel musician, Moses Bliss, tell the story of how he met his wife through a dance challenge on the internet and now they are a family of 3.
That’s not all, popular Media personality, Berla Mundi, said it took just a DM from her husband, one thing led to another and they now live happily ever after.
But not all the online love stories end well because of Romance Scam.
Year in and out, many fall victim to this and Frimpomaa, is one of such.
She said, “I met him on Facebook, he sent me a friend request, wished me happy birthday and then two weeks later, he proposed.
Few weeks into the relationship, it was one financial demand after the other.
“Almost every two weeks, he will ask me for money, he has a family emergency, he has crashed his car, among others”
Because I thought I was a girlfriend supporting a boyfriend, I never questioned him or listened to anyone.
Then she realised she was scammed.
“After a while, he began to disrespect me, he won’t pick my calls, he won’t reply my texts and then he blocked me, and that was when I realised I had been scammed, she added.
So I asked Rev. Francis Amoorh what will make someone want to be emotionally attached with a person, they might not know or have not seen.
“These scammers will build trust over a period and then capitalise on that, and you know once someone’s emotions are deeply invested into something, they immediately lose their guard, so that is how it happens”, he explained
Cyber security consultant, Joshua Addae, explains the psychology behind romance scam.
“The technique used in Romance Scam is a manipulative social engineering, which usually thrives on trust, authority and urgency.
Now these scammers are using emotional stories and empathy to outsmart their victims,” he explained.
What should people be looking out for in order not to be scammed?.
Mr. Addae advised that “Ask further questions, bring the conversation offline, and request to meet the person, inform a third party, watch out for untraceable links and platforms for money transfer, and don’t be shy to tell someone, when you get scammed”.
In May, 2025, two Ghanaian women aged 38 and 48, were rescued after falling victim to a romance scam that led to their kidnapping in Nigeria.
By Grace Hammaoh Agyemang
