Commentary From Individual Victims Who Desperately Want To Be Heard

Here Is An Editorial That Came From One Victim A While Ago, And We Are Reprinting It For Our Current Viewer’s Benefit

We have withheld the victim’s name for her privacy.

The Victim Sent An Email To GhanaWeb That Was Reprinted There:

I am the victim of a scammer who lives in Accra Ghana.  He went by the name of Jeffrey James Weller, and his associate was Jeffrey Osei Owusu (I believe them to be one in the same person) He stole $3,000 from me under the guise of friendship and love.  Yes I was niave and shouldn’t have sent him anything and some would say it’s my own fault, but others would agrue that I was taken advantage of.

I do not feel sorry for myself over this.  I accept the consequences of my actions.  I am more educated now and more cautious when I meet men, especially men who say they are currently living or working in Africa, in particular in Ghana as I’ve been approached by many men who live in Ghana.  Once bitten, twice shy….I look at this as a life lesson and am trying to turn a negative experience into a positive one.

I’d like to know why they think that it’s okay…that this is acceptable..and even a desierable way to make money.  This is not a job! This is criminal!  This is cruel beyond your wildest dreams.  Don’t tell me it’s to survive because there are always other options..I do not believe that.  To me it’s just another form of prostitution…you are selling yourself out and damning your soul to hell for what you are doing and for what?

I’d also like to know why the Ghanaian government doesn’t crack down more on this sort of thing.  What are the procedures for reporting this kind of behavor to the Ghanaian authorities?  How does this all work??  Who can I contact about this?  Is there a task force? A central body that investigates internet crime and romance scammers?  What are the procedures?

There Was No Response On The GhanaWeb Site, So The Victim Thought They Would Respond For Everyone’s Benefit:

Why doesn’t the Ghana Government crack down?  Because they generally don’t care.  The government of Ghana views this the way Nigeria used to view it, as economic development and a way to bring in much needed cash into the economy.  But according to the same website:

Some people may say what harm is scamming?  Isn’t it just a case of the African taking back what is theirs and getting payment from the rest of the world for the injustices of the past?  Maybe that is how some scammers view it but I see it differently.

What they don’t realize is that they are truly hurting their country that many profess to love dearly.  The impact is huge and multi-faceted…it costs the government on many levels… because it is not taxed and so they are not getting their share to help to improve the economic situation and programs of your countr….the poor are getting poorer…it makes investors shy away from Ghana and Africa as a whole due to the bad reputation…legitimate businesses are reluctant to invest there and open operations in a country known for scamming…and the scammers do not learn work ethic and they have no marketable skills –  they are not increasing their country’s brain power and applying themselves to legitimate businesses that help the country grow and prosper.

The reality is they feel they are entitled to steal.  And it isn’t just Ghana, THEY ARE ALL LIKE THIS!

As long as governments permit this, and that includes the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Russia, Ukraine, and especially Ghana, Nigeria, and Ivory Coast, it will never end.  The tragedy is that it destroys hope.

SCARS EDITOR’S NOTE:

We do not believe the current government of Ghana is interested in reducing or stopping scamming in their country and they let continue to be a drain on the talent of their youth in addition to a black mark against their country. Currently, the U.S. Department of Justice is working with African nations to improve policing and prosecutorial professionalism – which has substantially improved arrest rates in Nigeria.

We believe that continued pressure is the key to keeping Ghana’s attention on this global problem and maintain its willingness to address it.