Fighting Romance Scams with Digital Literacy and Stronger Protections
Ghana is becoming a technological hub and a place where tech industries are constantly developing. In a recent submission to the UN General Assembly by the Ministry of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Ghana has implemented a comprehensive national digitalization agenda, a national strategy to transform the economy and governance through technology, focusing on digitalizing public services (e-governance), formalizing the economy (biometric ID, digital addressing, paperless ports), promoting financial inclusion (mobile money interoperability), and building digital skills to create a knowledge-based society, aiming to boost efficiency, combat corruption, and foster innovation across sectors like health (telemedicine). This shows the country’s commitment to developing digital space. Recent international cases linking Ghana to online romance scams have reignited public debate about cybercrime. Much of this discussion, however, has focused on morality, individual blame, or sensational narratives. According to The Conversation (a news outlet), online romance scams have become a global phenomenon. The Federal Bureau of Investigation in the United States reports that romance scams resulted in losses of approximately US$1 billion for around 24,000 Americans in 2022. On the African continent, Nigeria and Ghana have emerged as central locations for internet fraud activities. The groups known as “Yahoo Boys” operating in Nigeria and “Sakawa Boys” in Ghana are recognized for their involvement in various fraudulent schemes, including online romance scams. What is often missing is a deeper understanding of what romance scams reveal about gendered vulnerabilities in digital financial fraud.
Romance scams are a form of cyber-enabled financial crime built on social engineering. Social engineering is when someone manipulates another person’s feelings to trick them into giving away money or personal details. Romance fraud through social engineering is often described as creating a fake friendship or relationship to commit fraud, especially for financial gain. Fraudsters use fake online identities on social media and dating platforms to establish trust and emotional dependence before requesting money. The crime succeeds not through technical hacking, but through manipulation of human behavior within digital financial systems.
Research consistently shows that women, particularly older women are more frequently targeted in romance scams. For instance a case study conducted by Lloyds Banking Group, Lloyds romance scams, indicate that across various reporting systems, women represent roughly 60–70% of identified romance scam victims, with a large share being over the age of 55 and often incurring higher average financial losses than men This targeting reflects gendered social realities rather than individual weakness such as widowhood, divorce, caregiving roles, and social isolation disproportionately affect women later in life, increasing their exposure to emotionally driven fraud. Data from financial institutions and law enforcement also show a sharp increase in romance scam reports among adults aged 55 and older, with the oldest victims experiencing the most severe losses. These risks are further intensified by unequal access to digital security education and financial risk awareness issues rooted in historical gender disparities in technology adoption and financial decision-making rather than personal naivety or weakness. More importantly, higher targeting does not mean higher susceptibility. Studies also indicate that men often incur greater financial losses, especially in romance-linked investment and cryptocurrency scams. This distinction underscores a key research insight: gender influences patterns of victimization, not intelligence or rationality. Vulnerability is situational, shaped by social roles, emotional context, and digital exposure.
Romance scams also sit squarely at the intersection of gender and digital finance. Funds are transferred through online banking platforms, money transfer systems like mobile money, gift cards, and cryptocurrencies often across borders. These channels introduce new risks, particularly for individuals with limited experience navigating digital financial safeguards or fraud detection mechanisms.
For Ghana, the message is clear: we must stop treating romance scams as individual moral failures or rare criminal episodes. Doing so hides the structural drivers of digital financial vulnerability, and it leaves more people exposed. What is needed now is decisive, coordinated action: gender-aware digital literacy programs that address how trust and manipulation operate online, stronger consumer protection standards within mobile money and digital finance platforms, and cybersecurity strategies that take social and behavioral risk factors as seriously as technical ones.
As Ghana’s digital economy accelerates, understanding how gender shapes exposure to financial cybercrime is no longer optional; it is urgent. Romance scams are a warning sign that cybersecurity is not only a technical problem but a social one. If we want a safer digital future, policymakers, platform providers, civil society, and educators must act together, protecting users, strengthening systems, and building a culture of informed, inclusive digital safety before the harm spreads further.
Vera Aklerh Akplehey
Cybersecurity Risk Management Analyst.