US-based Ghanaian certified fraud examiner Isaac Obour has alleged that some banks and public officials are complicit in romance scams, wire fraud and money laundering involving Ghanaian nationals.
Speaking on As It Is In Ghana on Rainbow Radio 87.5FM (Ghana) and 92.4FM (UK), Obour said fraudsters do not operate alone but often rely on the support of influential individuals, including some officials tasked with fighting financial crime.
According to him, Ghana’s financial system has the technology to detect suspicious transactions, but some officials undermine these safeguards because of the financial benefits they receive from suspected criminals.
Obour argued that banks should be more vigilant when customers receive unusually large foreign transfers that do not match their known sources of income.
He urged financial institutions to strengthen due diligence measures to determine whether such funds are legitimate or linked to fraudulent activities.
While acknowledging that banks have made some progress, he said they must do more to prevent financial crimes.
He also called on law enforcement agencies to intensify investigations, particularly by conducting lifestyle audits on individuals displaying unexplained wealth.
Obour warned that failing to tackle fraud and money laundering could damage Ghana’s international reputation, discourage investment and weaken confidence in the country’s financial system.
Referring to the recent extradition of some Ghanaians to the United States over alleged romance scams, he said Ghana should have dealt with such cases before foreign authorities stepped in.
“The recent extradition of Ghanaians over romance scam and wire fraud is unfortunate. It is not a good picture in the international world. It destroys our reputation in the international world. It undermines investor confidence,” he said.
He urged security agencies to strengthen efforts to clamp down on fraudsters and protect Ghana’s reputation.
