The Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), and UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA), have launched a fraud reporting campaign to step up the fight against romance fraud in the country.

The campaign aims to raise awareness and encourage the public to report fraudulent activities, particularly romance fraud which involves scammers who deceive and manipulate victims, often through online relationships to extort money.

As part of the campaign, the two entities would introduce educational resources, strengthen intelligence-sharing, and engage the public in initiatives aimed at disrupting and dismantling fraud networks.

The campaign will also feature a multimedia drive with roadside posters, social media outreach and awareness programmes to ensure widespread public engagement.

Additionally, the agencies have introduced two fraud-reporting numbers—0547-419-419 and 0800-910-910 — for the public to report suspected fraudsters.

Collective action

The International Liaison Officer of NCA, Dominic Cummins, emphasised the growing threat of fraud and the urgent need for collective action to stop it.

He said fraud accounted for over 40 per cent of crimes in the UK,  making it a key priority for the UK government to tackle both domestically and internationally.

“Preying on vulnerable individuals, fraudsters use sophisticated deception and manipulation tactics, leading to psychological and emotional distress, as well as substantial financial losses for victims.

“Since much of this activity occurs online, perpetrators can operate across borders with relative anonymity, making international collaboration essential in identifying offenders and bringing them to justice,” Mr Cummins said.

He further highlighted the long-standing partnership between the NCA and EOCO, which, he said, had been instrumental in tackling organised crime affecting both Ghana and the UK.

“The NCA is proud to be working alongside EOCO on this and other initiatives, demonstrating our shared commitment to fighting fraud through cooperation,” the officer added.

Implications

The Deputy Director of Legal and Prosecutions at EOCO, Anthony Leo Siamah, also underscored the dangers of romance fraud, emphasising its legal implications and efforts to combat it.

“Romance fraud is a deceptive crime that not only drains victims of their hard-earned money, but also causes emotional and psychological distress.

“Worse still, it tarnishes the image of our country as criminal networks exploit digital platforms to defraud unsuspecting individuals, often across international borders.

In Ghana, the crime has evolved alongside the increasing accessibility of the internet and mobile financial services,” he said.

Mr Siamah said that fraudsters operated both individually and in syndicates, employing sophisticated tactics that made detection and prosecution challenging.

He, therefore, said such a collaboration would help to intensify efforts to combat the activities through enhanced investigations, prosecution, cross-border cooperation, public awareness and regulatory reforms.