Scamming & Trafficking

Many teens in Ghana use the internet to look for opportunities — money, jobs, travel, connections, or a better future. Social media makes it easy to meet new people and hear about chances that seem exciting or life-changing.

But not everyone online has good intentions.

Some people contact teens to benefit themselves — by exploiting them financially, sexually, or both. Others trick young people into scams or dangerous situations by making promises that are not real.

This page explains what to watch out for, how manipulation happens, and how to protect yourself.

Did you know?

If an opportunity sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Real jobs, scholarships, and travel opportunities do not:

  • Ask you to keep secrets

  • Pressure you to decide quickly

  • Ask for money to “unlock” opportunities

  • Avoid clear details or proof

If you can’t check it independently, it’s not safe.

When teens are targeted by scams

Many teens also receive scam messages themselves, including:

  • Fake job offers

  • Promises of work or travel abroad

  • Offers of money, gifts, or sponsorship

  • Claims of powerful connections or success overseas

Scammers often:

  • Pretend to live in another country

  • Claim to be well-connected or important

  • Build trust over time

  • Make big promises about jobs, travel, or opportunities

In some cases, these scams lead to sexual exploitation or trafficking.

When fake opportunities become trafficking

Some offers are not just scams — they are dangerous.

Teens have described situations where:

  • Someone promises work or education abroad

  • Travel is rushed or arranged in secret

  • Details keep changing

  • The teen is told not to tell their family

In the worst cases, young people have been trafficked, abused, or trapped after trusting false promises.

Trafficking can happen:

  • Within the same country

  • Across borders

  • Through fake jobs, volunteering, or “connections”

🚩 Red flags to take seriously

Be careful if someone online:

  • Asks you to keep secrets from parents, teachers, or friends

  • Offers money, jobs, trips, or opportunities that feel unreal

  • Pressures you to act fast or decide alone

  • Changes their story or avoids clear answers

  • Asks for personal photos, videos, or favours

  • Asks you to send money, pay fees, or share documents

  • Offers to “handle everything” for travel or work

These are signs of manipulation — not opportunity.

Key takeaway

You are not to blame if someone tries to exploit you online.

Trust your instincts.
Don’t keep secrets that make you uncomfortable.
If someone pressures you, stop responding and talk to a trusted adult or get help right away.

Getting help early can stop things from getting worse. You won’t get in trouble for asking for help.


Real opportunities don’t rush you, isolate you, or demand secrecy. Your safety matters more than any promise made online.

Are you involved in scamming?

Some teens are also drawn into scamming others online as a way to make money. In different countries, this has taken organised forms, for example, so-called “sakawa boys” in Nigeria, where young men are recruited into online fraud networks with promises of quick wealth.

What is often hidden is the reality:

  • You may have to pay to join these groups

  • Only a few people at the top make money

  • Most teens lose time, data, and money

  • Scamming is illegal and can lead to arrest

  • Those higher up profit while teens take the risk

What looks like a shortcut often ends with young people being used — and left to face the consequences alone.

Don’t rely on scams or fake offers to make money — you have other options

Just like betting, scams promise fast rewards but carry serious risks.

Many teens say they can’t afford tools or materials to start something positive — yet:

  • Scamming costs data and time

  • “Training groups” often take money without giving returns

  • Legal trouble can block future opportunities

That same time, data, and effort can be used to build something real.

What you can do instead

Teens in Ghana are already using phones and social media to:

  • Learn practical skills (repairs, tailoring, farming tips, digital skills)

  • Practice and improve over time

  • Make and sell things (food, clothes, crafts, phone repairs)

  • Offer services locally and promote them online

Some young people also earn through digital content creation (education, comedy, storytelling, lifestyle). With consistency, this can lead to income or opportunities — without breaking the law or risking harm.

Choosing safer ways to earn can help you:

  • Build real skills that last

  • Protect your freedom and safety

  • Keep your future options open

  • Earn money without fear or secrecy

Get help

If you think you may be involved in a scam, fake job offer, or unsafe online situation — help is available.

You are not to blame if someone has lied to you, pressured you, or made you feel unsafe.

Talk to a trusted adult, such as a parent, caregiver, teacher, or community leader. Getting help early can stop things from getting worse, and you won’t get in trouble for asking.

If someone online is pressuring you, asking for money, images, documents, or travel:

  • Stop responding

  • Block and report them

If you feel in danger or are being threatened, seek help from local authorities or child protection services right away.

You deserve safety and real opportunities — not fear or secrecy.

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GET HELP HERE!