The Financial and Organised Crime Workplace (EOCO) in partnership with the Nationwide Crime Company (NCA) of United Kingdom, has launched a marketing campaign to fight romance fraud.
EOCO explains romance fraud as a relationship of affection characterised by false representations with the intention to defraud the opposite accomplice.
The year-long occasion ranging from this month and involving radio training programmes, public training and out of doors sensitisation programmes, can also be to create an avenue for victims of romance fraud to report back to the EOCO for investigations to happen in order that perpetrators may very well be delivered to ebook.
The Director of Administration of EOCO, Edward Cudjoe, on the launch of the marketing campaign, in Accra on Wednesday, mentioned romance fraud was a legal exercise that was giving Ghana a nasty picture.
He said that EOCO was, due to this fact, partnering with NCA of UK to fight romance fraud, and that worldwide companions and native collaborators have revealed that Ghana was changing into the vacation spot of fraud-related crimes and fund, notably romance fraud.
Mr Cudjoe additionally talked about that EOCO was partnering NCA of UK to share intelligence and acquire logistical monetary help to assist EOCO to sort out romance fraud.
He said that EOCO was additionally involving the general public within the struggle in opposition to romance fraud “as a result of for each endeavour, if you happen to don’t have the general public alongside, you’re employed in darkness, roughly.”
Mr Cudjoe additional urged the general public and victims to report problems with romance fraud to EOCO for investigations, arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators to function deterrent to others.
The Deputy Director of Authorized and Prosecutions of EOCO, Leo Antony Siamah, revealed that since 2021, a complete of 107 romance fraud circumstances had been recorded in Ghana.
He mentioned 25 circumstances have been recorded final yr, and because the starting of the yr, seven circumstances had been recorded and have been being investigated.
“As of final yr, we have now recovered GH¢2.2 million and has efficiently repatriated GH¢453,662.00 and efforts are underway to repatriate the staying GH¢1.5 million, pending court docket processes,” Mr Siamah outlined.
The Worldwide Liaison Officer of NCA, Dominic Cummins, mentioned romance fraud circumstances have been rising within the UK and a lot of the perpetrators have been from Ghana.
He mentioned it was within the gentle of the event that the NCA was partnering with EOCO to trace and arrest the perpetrators and prosecute them.
BY KINGSLEY ASARE