Reports that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has been surreptitiously apprehending some of Accra’s so-called “big boys” for their alleged involvement in romance scams and wire fraud have caused a wave of tension to sweep through parts of Ghana’s capital.
Multiple people with knowledge of the matter claim that at least 15 people have been taken into custody in the last 48 hours in what seems to be a clandestine global crackdown on cybercrime carried out by U.S. authorities working with Ghanaian security agencies.
The people who have since been apprehended are thought to be heavily involved in online fraud schemes, especially romance scams that prey on unsuspecting people overseas in an attempt to embezzle thousands or even millions of dollars.
The names of those detained have not been formally disclosed by law enforcement, but there is conjecture that some well-known socialites who frequently display their opulent lifestyles on social media are among those arrested.
This comes only a few weeks after the FBI allegedly arrested Dada Joe Remix, a well-known personality in Ghana’s nightlife and entertainment scene, on similar charges of cybercrime.
Details of the arrests have not yet been made public, and authorities have remained silent.
Nonetheless, the crackdown is thought to be a component of a larger international operation to destroy organized cybercrime networks that have their roots in West Africa.
Given the FBI’s involvement, it is possible that the cases involve victims who are based in the United States, which grants the bureau the authority to look for suspects abroad, particularly .
