The Jatikay Centre has urged Ghana to combine arrests with stronger financial investigations, asset recovery and public education to tackle cyber fraud, warning that societal acceptance of unexplained wealth continues to fuel the problem.
In a statement, Adib Saani of the Centre said people popularly known as “Game Boys” or “Sakawa Boys” are sometimes celebrated for their expensive cars and lavish lifestyles, creating a culture that risks normalising fraud.
“We cannot arrest our way out of a culture that society increasingly tolerates,” the statement said.
The call follows a major crackdown on suspected cyber-fraud networks in Ghana, which the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) reported on October 8, 2026, had resulted in more than 130 arrests or detentions and the seizure of over 300 electronic devices.
The FBI said investigators had identified 89 victims and nearly US$10 million in losses linked to online fraud schemes allegedly operated from scam compounds in Ghana.
However, the agency cautioned that those arrested or detained should not all be regarded as suspected fraudsters, as some were potential victims expected to be repatriated to their home countries.
The Jatikay Centre commended the Cyber Security Authority, the Criminal Investigations Department, the National Security Secretariat and international partners, including the FBI and the UK’s National Crime Agency, for their role in the operations.
It nevertheless called for a broader national response that addresses peer influence, unemployment pressures and the get-rich-quick mentality linked to fraud in Ghana and West Africa.
The Centre urged authorities to intensify cybercrime education and launch a sustained campaign to “de-glamorise unexplained wealth and make cyber fraud socially unacceptable again.”
