Dunstan Guba Reveals Surge in Romance Scams Targeting Ghanaians Online
Cybercrime investigator Dunstan Guba highlights how romance scammers exploit trust to steal from victims across Ghana.
Dunstan Guba, Cyber Intelligence Lead of the Ghana Police Service, has warned that romance scams are rising sharply in Ghana, with criminals using fake online identities to trick victims into sending money. He explains that scammers initiate contact on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, WhatsApp or dating platforms, often posing as caring suitors. After weeks or months of building trust through exchanged photos and messages, they fabricate financial emergencies such as medical bills, travel costs or customs charges. Guba notes that romance fraud attacks trust directly, making it harder to detect than technical cyber threats.
The scale of the problem is evident in national cybercrime data. Ghana recorded GH¢23.3 million in reported cybercrime financial losses in 2024, and by mid-2025, losses had reached GH¢14.9 million. Reported cyber incidents climbed from 1,317 in the first half of 2024 to 2,008 in the same period of 2025, with online fraud accounting for 36% of cases and fraud or impersonation responsible for over 94% of financial losses.
INTERPOL recently documented a pan-African operation where Ghanaian authorities arrested 68 suspects linked to romance scams and sextortion, seized 835 devices and identified 108 victims, recovering about US$70,000 of the US$450,000 in losses reported locally. International networks behind these scams often operate across borders, using stolen photos and forged profiles to deceive victims.
Guba also highlighted the growing role of artificial intelligence in creating convincing fake identities. In December 2025, a joint operation involving the Cyber Security Authority (CSA) and Ghana Police Service uncovered a US$8 million romance-fraud scheme targeting elderly victims in the United States, where AI-generated voices and images were used to build false relationships. CSA data show financial losses from online blackmail and sextortion rising from GH¢103,663 (Jan-Apr 2024) to GH¢499,044 (Jan-Apr 2025), with scammers using attractive fake profiles to coerce payments after intimate video calls.
Beyond investigations, Guba hosts the “Cybercrime Alert” programme on Ghana Police TV, where he educates the public on digital safety, and lectures at the Service’s Detective Training Academy. He recently earned a silver medal at the INTERPOL Digital Security Challenge in Kuala Lumpur, reflecting his expertise in cybercrime investigations. His work underscores the need for public awareness as technology enables more sophisticated emotional manipulation in online fraud.
