Updated Might 31, 2019 16:14:25
They are the base soldiers in a international scamming enterprise that's breaking hearts and stealing huge amounts of bucks.
In a little flat in Ghana, in western Africa, an aspiring entrepreneur trawls Facebook for divorced and widowed ladies on the other hand worldwide.
The 27-year-old, whom calls himself Kweiku, is trying to find 'clients' — scammer parlance for victims who can be conned online into sending cash.
For Kweiku, love frauds are really a deal, maybe perhaps not really a criminal activity.
"a customer is someone, a small business partner who brings you cash, this is exactly why you utilize the phrase customer, " he told Four Corners.
"Some are divorced plus some — their husbands are now actually dead. "
Kweiku offers perfume in the roads of Ghana's money, Accra, to steadfastly keep up a meagre earnings between Western Union transfers from a lady he seduces online.
He poses as A us soldier called 'Johnny', a persona that is online on stolen pictures, fake ID and stock scripts with storylines about urgent emergencies that may be fixed with money.
"Sometimes i am in Palestine, often i am in Iraq so we are helping keep comfort for the reason that nation since there is a war going in, " he stated.
"that is my main occupation — online. I'd like someone become my fan, my fiance. "
Kweiku's present target is a widow that is mexican the usa. She is considered by him an award customer.
"She can not actually hear he said that I don't have an American accent because she's not really a white person.
"She does not have the training and she actually is perhaps perhaps not proficient in English, thus I ended up being fortunate enough to generally meet someone who was not.
"we proposed to her, and now we were certainly getting along but i needed some money, and so I asked her for cash. In every, I think she delivered me personally about $2,000. "
As the Four Corners group is shooting, Kweiku comes back a missed movie call through the girl and blocks his cam along with his little finger so she can not see him.
"I'm trying to movie talk in a faltering American accent with you so you can see me but the camera is 
not working properly, " he tells her.
The discussion switches gears between declarations of love, intercourse talk and requests that are insistent presents and cash.
"we genuinely wish to come for this Christmas time and discover you, " he claims.
"think about the air plane admission? " the girl asks.
"My buddy booked the trip solution and I also'm perhaps maybe not hearing from my pal any longer. This really is times that are hard baby, " he informs her.
While the talk turns intimate, Kweiku shuts the phone call down.
"She was at sleep now, attempting to have sexual intercourse, and she ended up being hoping to get naked and all that, " he stated.
"She desired to see me. Often personally i think like, wow, this woman, she is actually in a few misery or discomfort because she really wants to see me personally and she can not see me personally.
"she is dropping deeply in love with the sound as it's exactly the same sound that we proposed to her, it is the exact same sound that we tell her she is gorgeous and it is exactly the same sound once I'm having sex to her. "
Kweiku's buddy 'Skidoo' introduced him towards the scamming company. He thinks he understands the solution to a lady's heart along with her bank-account.
"Females like guys who will be caring, " Skidoo stated.
"If you aren't going for cash, you constantly call them: ' exactly the way you doing? I desired to confirm you. Perhaps you have consumed all of the things? ' Like pampering this way.
"she is online trying to find a partner. Possibly this has been very long since she met some body like this, it has been a very long time since|time that is long someone pampered her. This has been very long since someone informed her things that are sweet. "
In a loaded internet cafe in a commercial city western of Accra, we find teenage men and teenage boys in the front display, logged in on dating web web sites under names like Jessica, Mary and Jennifer.
The teens, understood in Ghana as 'cafe males' or 'browsers', are trying to find middle-aged and men that are elderly the usa, Australia and Canada, and luring them to talk on Bing Hangouts.
Mohamed, 19, is trading messages online with a man that is grey-haired Australia.
"We simply come right here, we simply acquire some cash from the mans that are white acquire some meals for eating, " he said.
"a few of them can give you $US2,000, perhaps you make sure he understands you need $US5,000 or 5,000 pounds or $5,000 Australian. "
"Wanna play now? I'm horny, " the man that is australian to him. "Wife is late home today, i am here looking forward to you. "
"He really wants to play video clip cam beside me to complete enjoyable, intercourse material along with other things, " Mohamed tells Four Corners.
"He shows me personally himself nude, complete nude. And I also will ensure him pleased, like he'll fall in deep love with me. "
Mohamed informs Four Corners he has been achieving this since he had been 16 in order to make a full time income, or often in order to make credit for their phone.
"Hi babe, simply got house and now have topped you up with 90 cedis ($24), " the Australian writes. "which should protect to try out again aswell. Cant delay so that you can come on line. "
Every time they "play", Mohamed informs his goals their cam is broken and rather delivers videos associated with girl he claims become.
The Australian guy happens to be sending cam gear to Ghana so he is able to finally see and hear her live.
"Do you obtain the mic we sent? " the writes that are australian. "no further playing. We thought in the start of something longterm. "
It's the perfect time for Mohamed to get a client that is new.
Ghana has more phones than individuals. With a high youth jobless and low priced internet, online fraud is booming.
"It really is extensive, " states Ghana Police cybercrime product director Dr Herbert Gustav Yankson. "It is profitable, low-risk and it's really increasing every time. "
Entrepreneurs are capitalising from the scam industry.
At a shrine regarding the borders of Accra, businesswoman and celebrity priestess that is fetish Agradaa casts spells on her behalf clients to assist them to generate income.
Nana Agradaa takes 100 cedis ($26) a session from cafe boys to provide them the capacity to manipulate their victims.
We view as Nana Agraada invokes her spirits in the front of the idol that is wooden covered in pictures of westerners which were delivered to her by cafe males.
She chants, spits schnapps and pours talcum powder on her behalf idols, as she shows certainly one of her many popular incantations with an associate.
"He brought some white visitors to, " she said.
"The child desires them to deliver him some quantity because he's got been asking for the money nevertheless they have never compensated the funds.
" So I give him some detergent to get and employ, when he is utilizing it to shower, he'll state anything he desires the white woman or the white guy to accomplish for him. "
