Staff
Grey County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) are alerting residents to a “Romance Scam” which may also involve a “Ghana Gold Scam” after a local resident has given away over $10,000 between 2011 and 2015 to someone he met on line.
In this case, the fraudster, who claims to live in Ghana, advised the victim that she has inherited some gold and would send it to him as repayment for monies already sent to her – however, she needs $4,700 in order to send him the gold.
When the victim went to the bank, he was told that this was likely a scam and advised to contact police.
Scams have a profound impact on victims and cause severe financial harm. The fraudsters develop a relationship with the victim over an extended period of time – which increases the level of trust between the victim and the fraudster, and usually results in the victim losing money.
There are many variations of the “Ghana Gold Scam” on the internet. Before you send any money to Ghana, take the time to be very well informed by checking the sites on the internet. Look at this list of indicators and if any of them sound familiar you are likely the victim of an internet scam.
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You met a friend online
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You’ve never met face to face
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Your correspondent professes love at warp speed
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Your correspondent is plagued with medical problems requiring loans from you
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You are promised repayment upon the inheritance of gold or gems
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You’ve sent large sums for visas or plane tickets but the person cannot seem to make it out of Ghana (or another country)
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When your friend does try to leave the country, h/she is detained by immigration officials demanding payment or bribes
Never – under any circumstances – send money for any reason!
If you or someone you know has been a victim of fraud, contact your local police service or the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or report online through their website at http://www.antifraudcentre.ca.
