VisionAfricaMedia

The danger of scammers preying on Ghanaians abroad who seek to build or invest back home is real. There are scammers everywhere, blending into society and posing as respectable contractors, consultants, or even “men of God.” One name is now almost synonymous with this kind of fraud — Francis Ayariga, a supposed building contractor, whose story has become a chilling reminder of how trust can be abused and exploited, and dreams can be shattered.

Francis Ayariga

He doesn’t look like a scammer, pretends to be a “man of God”

Francis Ayariga isn’t the face you’d expect to mask a scammer’s soul. He projects the image of a humble and “nice guy”, recites Bible verses, and reassures his victims that he’s only here to help them fulfill their dreams of home ownership or entrepreneurship in Ghana. A London-based Ghanaian, taken in by his charm and apparent faith, entrusted him to renovate her property in Accra. She gave Francis money for everything from materials to labor and other related charges. She returned to London fully convinced that she had found the right person to handle the project. Almost a year later, however, her faith in Francis unraveled when she discovered the project had barely moved, and he had lied about progress with the project. Further scrutiny revealed that many of his receipts were fake. She had been robbed of her time, trust, and thousands of pounds.

The rise of scams like Ayariga’s has cast a long shadow over Ghanaians’ aspirations to invest in their homeland, especially those in the diaspora who dream of returning one day. Historically, Ghanaians have upheld the value of family and community loyalty, but in recent decades, the lure of quick money has pushed some toward exploiting the very people they should protect. The practice of “419” fraud — named after Nigeria’s infamous penal code for fraud — has evolved into a complex web of deceit, now impacting Ghanaians who may be oceans away but still see their native land as a place to build their dreams.

How can scammers like Francis Ayariga be stopped?

The big question remains: how can such scams be stopped? Law enforcement’s involvement has often been sporadic and, in many cases, slow to respond. Victims report that cases rarely reach a courtroom, while scammers continue with business as usual. Without systematic and timely legal consequences, the Francis Ayarigas of Ghana are free to ruin lives with little more than a slap on the wrist. Experts warn that unless Ghana invests in a specialized task force to investigate and prosecute such cases, more will fall victim to scams like these, which go beyond financial loss, corroding trust and goodwill among Ghanaians at home and abroad.

Borga beware, and be careful  who to trust with your money or projects

For those in the diaspora, the lesson is clear but painful: beware, and verify before trusting anyone with money or significant projects in Ghana. For the Ghana government, the challenge is just as stark: build a system that safeguards the dreams of its sons and daughters abroad — or risk seeing those dreams shattered by the very people meant to uphold them.