An undercover project by American news organisation CBS has revealed how some Ghanaian youths are building successful careers in online dating scams and fraud.
Known as the "Yahoo Boys," their targets are mostly wealthy foreigners, particularly elderly men and those who have lost their spouses, whom they engage through dating sites.
According to the investigative piece, these 'Yahoo Boys' target men because they tend to fall in love quickly and are less likely to report the incidents to the police due to the shame associated with it.
The modus operandi of these 'Yahoo Boys' is to chat with their victims to build a strong emotional connection. This is usually done by the underlings.
The bosses, who are higher in rank, then take over to introduce the business aspect after the emotional connection has been established, convincing the victims they are in love by showering them with gifts, affection, and messages.
The report further revealed the tactics used by these 'Yahoo Boys' to extort money from their unsuspecting victims.
Speaking to the undercover reporter in exchange for concealing their identity, one of the underling 'Yahoo Boys', who pretends to be a white American woman living in the US said, “I go on an online dating site to find a male friend. I will go on Instagram using a girl’s picture and pretending to be a girl to chat with him.”
The 'Yahoo Boys' operate by deceiving their victims into believing they are set to inherit one of Ghana’s gold mines.
The victims are then invited to invest in the mine, with promises of huge returns that will secure the couple’s future together. To further convince their victims, the 'Yahoo Boys' present forged ownership documents bearing an official seal.
They then proceed to steal millions of dollars from their victims, enabling them to maintain a flashy lifestyle.
Watch the full video investigation below by CBS News:
MAG/MA
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