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Ghana (GH)

Ghana is one of West Africa's most attractive expat bases: English-speaking, politically stable, culturally warm and increasingly connected to the global African diaspora.

Capital: Accra
Region: Africa
Language: English
Currency: GHS (GHc)
Cost of living: Very affordable (index 31)
Emergency: 112
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Scam Warnings

Common scams targeting expats in Ghana.

Ghana's most dangerous scams for expats involve property fraud, mobile money theft, and advance-fee schemes. Three golden rules: (1) Never transfer money — MoMo or bank — before physically verifying a property, a seller, or a service provider. (2) Your MoMo PIN and OTP are yours alone: no legitimate MTN, Telecel, or AirtelTigo agent will ever ask for them. (3) Any investment promising unusually high returns is almost certainly a Sakawa (advance-fee fraud) variant — verify every investment opportunity with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Ghana (SEC Ghana) before committing funds.

Mobile Money (MoMo) OTP and SIM Swap Fraud

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Ghana's most reported financial fraud category. Fraudsters use several methods: (1) Impersonate MTN, Telecel, or AirtelTigo customer care agents and request your OTP or PIN to "verify your account" or "process a reversal." (2) SIM swap: criminals use your personal data to convince a telecom agent to transfer your number to a SIM they control, then drain your MoMo wallet and linked bank accounts. Over GHS 47 million was lost to MoMo fraud in 2025 (Bank of Ghana data). Caller ID spoofing makes fraudulent calls appear to come from official telecom numbers.

How to spot it
  • - Any call asking for your MoMo PIN, OTP, or Ghana Card number — legitimate operators never ask for these
  • - Caller ID showing "MTN Customer Care" or a bank name — caller IDs can be spoofed
  • - SMS claiming you received a payment and asking you to "reverse" it by providing your PIN
  • - Sudden loss of mobile signal followed by MoMo notifications you did not initiate (classic SIM swap indicator)
  • - Requests to confirm a code sent to your phone to "verify" a transaction
What to do: Never share your MoMo PIN or any OTP with anyone, including people claiming to be telecom staff. If you suspect a SIM swap, call your operator immediately from a different phone to freeze your number. Report MoMo fraud to the Cyber Security Authority (CSA) at csa.gov.gh/report and to your telecom operator. Call Ghana Police cybercrime on 191.

Fake Rental Listing and Deposit Fraud

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Agents or individuals advertise properties they do not own or control — often in Accra's East Legon, Airport Residential, Cantonments, or Tema — and pressure prospective tenants to pay advance rent or a "reservation fee" before lease or ownership can be verified. The scammer may show the property once (sometimes using a borrowed key), collect two years' advance rent (standard in Ghana), then vanish. Expats are prime targets due to unfamiliarity with the local market and urgency to secure housing before arrival.

How to spot it
  • - Price significantly below the market rate for the area and property type
  • - No verifiable landlord identity — seller/agent refuses to show any ownership document
  • - Refuses live in-person viewing or arranges a single rushed viewing
  • - Demands full advance payment (MoMo or bank transfer) before a written lease is provided
  • - Property listed on multiple platforms simultaneously under different contact numbers
  • - Agent cannot produce a Ghana Real Estate Developers Association (GREDA) or Estate Agency registration
What to do: Insist on viewing the property in person and meeting the landlord face to face. Verify the landlord's ownership through a land documentation search before paying anything. Use a licensed Ghanaian property lawyer for significant transactions. Pay via traceable bank transfer with the lease signed first. Report fraud to the Ghana Police Service (191) and the Ghana Real Estate Agency Council.

Land Title Fraud

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Land fraud is endemic in Ghana's real estate market. The same plot is frequently sold by multiple claimants — family members, stool land representatives, private individuals, and state agencies may each claim overlapping rights. Sellers use photocopied indentures, forged stamps, or legitimate-looking documents for land they cannot actually convey. Foreign nationals and expats are disproportionately targeted.

How to spot it
  • - Seller discourages you from independently hiring a property lawyer
  • - Only photocopied indenture available — no original documents
  • - No Lands Commission search completed and no willingness to support one
  • - Multiple parties making competing claims on the same parcel
  • - Seller creates urgency to prevent due diligence
  • - Plot is not registered in the Lands Commission digital system
What to do: Always use an independent, qualified Ghanaian property lawyer — not one recommended by the seller. Conduct a Lands Commission search at the Lands Commission of Ghana (lc.gov.gh) before signing anything. Verify all titles and check for encumbrances or litigation. Never pay any amount, including a "holding deposit," before searches are complete.

Sakawa and Advance-Fee Investment Fraud

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Sakawa is Ghana's home-grown internet fraud culture, a West African variant of 419 advance-fee fraud. Scammers build trust online or in person before requesting money for: release of an inheritance or gold shipment, a joint business "opportunity," import/export customs clearance, or an investment requiring a small upfront fee to unlock large returns. Targets include expats, international business contacts, and romantic interests. Sakawa has evolved into highly sophisticated cryptocurrency and forex investment scams.

How to spot it
  • - Unsolicited introduction to a "business opportunity" with unusually high returns
  • - Request for money to release funds, clear customs, or unlock a promised return
  • - Online relationship or business contact who has never met you in person
  • - Requests for payment via crypto, MoMo, or wire transfer to an individual account
  • - Any promise of guaranteed investment returns above 20% per annum
  • - Pressure to keep the transaction secret
What to do: Stop all contact and payments immediately. Do not send any further money in the hope of recovering what you already paid — this is the "recovery scam" extension of the original fraud. Report to the Ghana Police Cybercrime Unit (191), the Cyber Security Authority (csa.gov.gh/report), and the SEC Ghana (sec.gov.gh) for investment fraud.

Fake Immigration and Work Permit Agents

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Individuals posing as immigration "consultants" or licensed agents promise guaranteed work permits, visas, or Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) registration assistance for upfront cash fees. They produce no official receipts, provide no written service contract, and deliver nothing. Official Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) and Ministry of Interior fees are fixed and paid only through official channels.

How to spot it
  • - Agent has no verifiable physical office or company registration
  • - No written breakdown of official government fees versus service fees
  • - Guarantees permit approval — no legitimate agent can guarantee this
  • - Avoids official GIS or Ministry of Interior receipts
  • - Requests cash-only payment
  • - Cannot name your specific case officer or provide a government reference number
What to do: Use only employer-nominated lawyers or consultants with verifiable credentials. Pay all official government fees directly through GIS official channels (home.gis.gov.gh). Ask for a signed service agreement and itemised receipts. Report fraudulent agents to the Ghana Police Service (191).

Fake Police and Authority Extortion

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Individuals impersonating police officers or government officials approach expats — sometimes at checkpoints, in traffic, or at markets — and claim an "on-the-spot fine" is owed for a real or invented infraction. They demand immediate cash payment and threaten arrest or vehicle seizure if you do not comply. Uniformed individuals may also be involved.

How to spot it
  • - Demand for immediate cash with no official receipt or documentation
  • - Threats of arrest or other consequences if you do not pay on the spot
  • - Unable or unwilling to produce proper police ID or badge number
  • - Request to pay via mobile money to a personal number
  • - Fine is for an infraction you are not aware of or that does not exist
What to do: Politely insist on going to the nearest official police station and receiving an official receipt for any fine. Genuine police fines in Ghana require official documentation. Note badge numbers if possible. Report incidents to the Ghana Police Service Professional Standards Bureau (191).

Fake Job Placement Agencies

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Fraudulent recruitment agencies advertise well-paying jobs — in hospitality, construction, domestic work, or NGO sectors — and charge registration or "placement fees" before the job starts. Once fees are paid, the job never materialises or the agency disappears. Both Ghanaians and foreigners (expats seeking local employment) are targeted.

How to spot it
  • - Agency charges a fee before you have signed any employment contract
  • - No physical verifiable office, no company registration number
  • - Job description is vague or the salary promised is well above market rates
  • - Requests personal documents (passport, bank details) before any formal interview
  • - Uses WhatsApp or email as the only communication channel
What to do: Legitimate employers and agencies in Ghana do not charge job seekers fees. Never pay a registration or placement fee before signing a verified employment contract. Verify agency registration with the Ghana Employers' Association or the Department of Labour. Report fraudulent agencies to the Ghana Police (191).

Vehicle Import Duty Fraud

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Sellers or "clearing agents" understate Ghana Customs Authority import duties on a vehicle, sell an uncleared vehicle, or collect "clearing fees" that are never paid to Customs — leaving the buyer liable for the full duty. Vehicles cleared through Tema Port are a common vector. Expats importing personal vehicles from abroad are frequent victims.

How to spot it
  • - No authentic Ghana Customs Service (GCS) clearance documentation
  • - Suspiciously low total price that includes supposed customs clearance
  • - Pressure to finalise payment before a physical Tema inspection
  • - Clearing agent requests cash payments with no receipts
  • - Vehicle has no proper Roadworthy Certificate or DVLA registration
What to do: Use only licensed Ghana Customs clearing agents (verify via Customs Authority). Insist on seeing original GCS clearance documents and verify them at gra.gov.gh/customs/. Inspect the vehicle at Tema Port personally. Do not pay any duty component as cash to an individual.

Reporting

Where to report: Ghana Police Service (GPS): emergency 191; toll-free 18555 (MTN/Telecel). Cybercrime Unit at CID Headquarters, Accra — police.gov.gh/en/index.php/cyber-crime. Cyber Security Authority (CSA): incident reporting at csa.gov.gh/report. Securities and Exchange Commission Ghana (SEC Ghana): sec.gov.gh for investment fraud. Ghana Customs Authority: gra.gov.gh/customs/. Mobile money fraud: report to your telecom operator immediately.

Consumer helpline: Ghana Police emergency: 191 (all networks, toll-free). CSA Cybersecurity Helpdesk: csa.gov.gh. SEC Ghana consumer helpline: sec.gov.gh. For mobile money fraud: MTN customer care 0244300000; Telecel Ghana 0302200200; AirtelTigo 0260000100. There is currently no single unified consumer protection agency helpline in Ghana — the regulatory framework is still developing under the Consumer Protection Policy of 2022.