Booming Scam Industry

More Ghanaians are vulnerable today than it was the case previously. The reasons behind the negative phenomenon are not farfetched, but the scale is as widespread as the corruption in government and public service.

Some persons are tempted to feel, albeit erroneously, that the players in what is by all standards a scam industry, are taking a cue from politicians on the corridors of power.

Many more cases of desperate Ghanaians falling victim to scams initiated by crooks are coming to light by the sheer daredevil nature of the crimes. Other scams have remained under the carpet permanently as victims simply resign themselves to their fate.

The booming scam industry is a symptom of the ailing economy, and with the prognosis still worrying and bleak, it is set to flourish even more.

From enlistment scams to overseas job offers, the industry is showing no sign of a letup.

News about some youth reporting to the various training depots of the Ghana Police Service across the country to commence training, having fallen victim to a sophisticated scam using law enforcement agency letterhead, made instructive and sad reading yesterday in many dailies.

The scale of the scam informed the front page treatment given the story. The almost national conversation the story broached was good because those seeking to enlist would now interrogate enlistment invitations before taking a step.

While we sympathise with the victims and their parents who were made to part with so much just so the young men and woman could enlist in the law enforcement agency, we are sad that they were unable to see through the scam. Perhaps the scam was so complex that only the sharp-eyed could have seen through it.

Be it as it may, the deed has already been committed and can therefore not be reversed. One thing which is clear though is that, with the scam industry set to even boom beyond the current level, the need for Ghanaians to be wary of smart guys who are ready to pounce on desperate unemployed Ghanaians cannot be overemphasised.

We are pleased that the Police Administration has already swung into action towards unravelling the mystery of this gargantuan scam. With some suspects already arrested and others being sought, we are confident that all those behind this latest round of scam would be unmasked and brought to book.

Beyond this is the engagement of especially Ghanaian women to go and work in the Gulf countries – opportunities usually coated with sugar when they are being advertised.

Yesterday the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) expressed worry about the rising incidence of Ghanaian ladies migrating to the Gulf countries and the inhuman treatment these persons are made to suffer.

Their 'greener pastures' dream fizzle as soon as they touch down at their final destinations.

Here is to call on the relevant authorities to interrogate agencies which recruit Ghanaians to go and work in the Gulf and other countries. These agencies must be made to sign undertakings about the welfare of Ghanaians who are so engaged. There should also be a means of monitoring the state of the expatriate workers in the countries in which they work. That is one of the responsibilities the state owes its citizens as they domicile in foreign countries.

Where the welfare of such persons cannot be guaranteed, the state has the moral responsibility to pull the brakes over such deals.