Ghanaian man reveals how he made $30,000 from romance scams

A Ghanaian man identified as Odo has revealed how he allegedly made more than $30,000 from a romance scam, using another man’s identity and photograph to deceive her.

Odo shared details of his activities with Portuguese-American investigative journalist Mariana van Zeller in a recent episode of her documentary series, Trafficked with Mariana van Zeller.

He told van Zeller that he had been involved in romance scams since 2008, after a friend introduced him to the practice.

Recounting how he started, Odo said his first victim was a Canadian woman he approached online while pretending to be another man.

He claimed to have obtained more than $30,000 from the woman and said he was communicating with about five clients at the same time.

“From that Canadian. More than $30,000 out of that. Yeah, we're chatting about five clients at the same time. It's all like a script, so I just copy and paste to them,” he said.

Odo explained that he used photographs of a handsome man to attract women online and build relationships with them. He said he relied on prepared scripts to maintain conversations with multiple women without having to compose every message himself.

According to him, a woman’s willingness to send money for the first time was a sign that she could be a profitable target.

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“The moment she commits by sending money for the first time, that means she's a very good client,” he said.

The documentary also examined the roles played by other people in romance scams. Van Zeller explained that some scammers work with individuals known as “finishers”, who step in when victims are ready to send money.

During the conversation, he also claimed to have scammed more than 22 people from countries including the United States, Canada, Germany, Poland and Singapore.

The episode explores how romance scammers use fabricated identities and emotional manipulation to gain the trust of people online before persuading them to send money.

The show investigates criminal networks and underground economies around the world, with van Zeller speaking to people involved in illicit activities to understand how they operate.

See the video below:

Portuguese-American investigative journalist Mariana van Zeller has featured a purported Ghanaian romance scammer named “Odo” in an episode of her investigative documentary series, Trafficked with Mariana van Zeller.

The man, who claimed to be Ghanaian, disclosed that he had made significant sums of money from the crime, including more than $30,000 from a single victim.

[🎥: Marianavz]

— SIKAOFFICIAL🦍 (@SIKAOFFICIAL1) October 17, 2026