Love, Janessa | Episode 3: Meet The Boys

Summary

Summary of "Love, Janessa | Episode 3: Meet The Boys"

Release Date: February 6, 2023
Produced by CBC and BBC World Service
Host: Hannah Ajala

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1. Setting the Scene: Hannah's Quest in Accra

The episode begins with Hannah Ajala in Accra, Ghana, navigating the bustling city in search of individuals involved in romance scams, specifically targeting those who manipulate victims using fabricated identities. Equipped with a battery-powered hand fan to combat the heat and nervousness, Hannah’s mission is to uncover the truth behind the "Sakawa boys"—local scammers orchestrating elaborate online deceit schemes.

Notable Quote:
Hannah Ajala reflects on her nervousness while waiting in a café:
"Every car that goes by, I think, Is that him?"
[02:00]

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2. Understanding Sakawa: Culture and Cybercrime

Hannah introduces the term "Sakawa," rooted in the Hausa language, which has come to represent Ghana's online scammers. These individuals, predominantly young men, are identifiable by their flamboyant styles, including expensive cars and distinctive hairstyles. Sakawa is not merely a form of cybercrime but a cultural phenomenon intertwined with Ghanaian society, influenced by movies, music (notably "scam rap"), and spiritual beliefs.

Expert Insight:
Abdul Razak Kuyini Alhassan, Associate Professor at the University of Southeastern Norway, delves into the complexities of Sakawa culture:
"The Sakawa boy involves himself into some kind of spiritual activity... seeking help to get their clients to give them what they want."
[09:48]

Notable Quote:
A local explanation of Sakawa's lavish lifestyle:
"We live in lavish." -
Ofa
[22:24]

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3. Economic Drivers Behind the Scams

The narrative explores Ghana's economic landscape, highlighting high youth unemployment rates and limited job opportunities despite a history of independence and democratic stability. This economic strain fosters an environment where young, educated individuals turn to cybercrime as a lucrative alternative.

Key Points:

• Ghana's vibrant yet economically strained environment.
• The role of electronic waste in facilitating scams.
• The connection between global cybercrime and local economic needs.

Notable Quote:
Abdul contextualizes the shift from traditional livelihoods to modern scams:
"They finish the education, they come home, they find no jobs. If you say that, okay, do not involve in Sakawa. What else? What is the better alternative do you have for them?"
[13:32]

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4. The Mechanics of a Romance Scam: Interview with Ofa

Hannah secures an interview with Ofa, a mid-30s Ghanaian man involved in crafting fake online identities to deceive victims. Ofa describes the meticulous process of building trust over several months before extorting money from targets.

Key Steps in the Scam:

1. Profile Creation: Using stolen or internet-sourced images to create compelling fake profiles.
2. Trust Building: Engaging in prolonged communication to establish emotional connections.
3. Financial Extraction: Requesting money under fabricated emergencies or personal crises.

Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• On Initiation:
  Ofa explains how he begins interactions:
  "I have to build that relationship for the person to trust you before you can get something from the person."
  [26:20]

• On Financial Requests:
  Describing the tipping point for asking money:
  "So after four months of chatting, he tells her he's on one of his many trips and he's lost his credit card. He says the woman sends him a money transfer."
  [28:22]

• On Emotional Impact:
  Reflecting on the moral conflict of scamming:
  "Very, very bad. You feel bad. Definitely... I always feel bad."
  [34:57]

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5. Technological Tools and Team Dynamics

The episode delves into the sophisticated technological methods employed by Sakawa boys, including software to fabricate documents and manipulate images, enabling them to sustain multiple deceptive relationships simultaneously. Ofa mentions the use of team-based operations to distribute roles such as recruitment, IT support, and financial collection.

Notable Quote:
On team collaboration and image usage:
"If team A doesn't have it, Team B might have it. So that's how it works."
[27:37]

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6. The Human Element: Ofa's Personal Struggles and Future Plans

Despite his involvement in scams, Ofa expresses genuine remorse and a desire to cease his activities, citing personal beliefs in karma and concerns for his family's future. His candid admissions reveal the internal conflict faced by individuals trapped in the cycle of cybercrime.

Notable Quote:
Discussing his intentions to quit:
"I have planned to stop... if I believe in karma and what goes around comes around."
[35:52]

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7. Concluding Encounter and Reflections

As Hannah wraps up her interview with Ofa, the encounter underscores the paradox of engaging with someone who outwardly appears ordinary yet is entwined in a web of deceit affecting countless lives. The episode leaves listeners contemplating the broader implications of global cybercrime and its deep-rooted causes.

Final Thoughts:
Hannah muses on the duality of Ofa's persona:
"He seemed like an average guy with a grinding job. It was almost easy to forget what chaos, what suffering comes out of that so-called job."
[35:30]

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8. Teaser for the Next Episode

The episode concludes with a teaser hinting at the ongoing search for Janessa Brazil, promising revelations that challenge previous assumptions about her fate.

Closing Quote:
Hannah presents a mysterious link showcasing Janessa alive:
"She seemed very much alive. Foreignessa is produced by Antica Productions and Telltale Industries..."
[38:03]

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Key Themes and Insights

• Cultural Integration of Crime: Sakawa is not just a criminal activity but a cultural phenomenon influenced by societal norms and economic pressures.

• Technological Sophistication: The evolution of cybercrime tactics, including advanced software for identity fabrication, highlights the adaptive nature of online scams.

• Economic Desperation: High unemployment and economic instability in Ghana serve as catalysts for individuals like Ofa to engage in illicit activities.

• Moral Conflict: Personal remorse and ethical dilemmas faced by perpetrators add layers of complexity to the narrative of cybercrime.

---

Conclusion

"Meet The Boys" offers an in-depth exploration of the individuals behind online romance scams in Ghana, blending personal narratives with socio-economic analysis. Through Hannah's immersive investigation and poignant interviews, listeners gain a nuanced understanding of the factors driving cybercrime and the human stories entwined within.

Transcript

[Jamie Poisson]

Hi, I'm Jamie Poisson and every weekday I host a news podcast called Front Burner. We do one story a day and we try to give you a deep but not overwhelming amount of information and context. Lately, there has been a ton of political news to keep on top of. Canada is facing a pivotal election, there's a power struggle at the heart of the Liberal Party, and the uncertainty of Trump's second term looms over all of this. So if you want to keep up with what's happening, follow FrontBrer, a BBC.

[Unknown]

World Service and CBC podcast production.

[Hannah Ajala]

Before we start, please note this series contains adult themes and strong language. Whenever I'm in Ghana, I always carry a little battery powered hand fan with me. Probably looks a little diva, but it's the best defense against the heat. Also, fanning yourself gives you something to do when you're nervous. Like I am sitting here on the patio of a cafe in Accra, waiting. Every car that goes by, I think, Is that him? The guy I'm waiting for has rescheduled twice already. First, he didn't want to meet indoors, so he had to find exactly the right outdoor location. Then the rain set in and he cancelled again. Now I'm nervous that he won't show up at all. I'm also a bit nervous that he will. The guy I'm waiting for is a supporting player in one of many criminal schemes conning people around the world. He's a romance scammer, someone who grooms his victims by using other people's images. Images like Janessa's from CBC Podcasts and the BBC World Service. My name is Hannah Ajala and this is Love Janessa. The story of my wild quest to find the woman whose face and body is the bait used in catfishing schemes around the world. Episode 3 Meet the Boys. What's the thing? 3C5.

[Ludwig]

Two cities.

[Unknown]

We had two cities. The two cities.

[Hannah Ajala]

Fine, right. I don't know if I have small change. Okay. Yep, there you go. 18s. Would you like some plantain chips? Oh, you give me a tip. You can never say no to plantain.

[Ofa]

Yeah.

[Hannah Ajala]

So it's my first morning in Accra and I have a serious craving for plantain chips. The guy who is helping me get my fix at a roadside stand is actually my fixer, Ludwig. We're meeting for the first time. What a lovely start. Hello, Ludwig. So, Ludwig, I feel like by the end of this week we're gonna be like besties.

[Unknown]

Yeah, we're starting to be besties already.

[Hannah Ajala]

Yes, a lovely, great introduction. Ludwig is this super energetic, towering guy in a tracksuit. He works as an assistant director on films, but this week he's going to help me set up interviews and navigate the he calls home. Ludwig is a serious Ghana booster. And I get it. Ghana is beautiful. It's got great beaches and waterfalls. It's become a very hot Instagram snap for tourists. Naomi Campbell and Idris Elba have both given Ghana big love on their feet. Ludwig, what? What, what do you love so much about just being in Ghana?

[Unknown]

Well, I mean, the is getting tougher each day, but I mean, waking up and we have the life I've always wanted to have. I always want to be in Ghana. I look around the world and all the issues a lot of people face at my age and I feel Ghana is that beautiful place I always want to be. I always say I wouldn't choose anywhere.

[Hannah Ajala]

Apart from Ghana, but Ghana doesn't have such positive associations for everyone because I've.

[Simon de Brasil]

Been doing a lot of research in it and I've been googling catfishing scams.

[Hannah Ajala]

That's Simon de Brasil from episode one, the British journalist who thought he'd track the real Janessa Brazil to a hotel in Toronto. But he was wrong.

[Simon de Brasil]

I knew that it's basically a huge international business which originates in West Africa or at the epicenter is West Africa. I didn't really have any doubt that it was likely that it was originating from Nigeria or Ghana.

[Hannah Ajala]

While he was digging into the mystery, Simon communicated with a lot of scammers who were using Janessa's name and image. The one he spoke to most would often mention Ghana in her texts. This is Janissa, your wife here in Ghana. Due to my terrible situation on my surgery operation, she offered many twisty explanations for why he should send money to her in Ghana rather than say, the United States where she allegedly lived. This place is much better and all right for the treatment. I gonna get back from recovery sooner. Roberto Mourini from last episode had a similar experience. Hannah Alex, the person he was in love with, who also used Janessa's image and who Roberto came to believe was the real Janessa Brazile initially said she lived in the us but Ghana kept coming up in very confusing ways.

[Unknown]

She was actually living in Ghana because the father that was an ex military got to be injured and it had to stay there. So this was the main initial story. I don't know seriously if it's right or wrong, if it's true or false, but let's give it the benefit of the doubt.

[Hannah Ajala]

You know, we don't know if any of the people impersonating Janessa Brazil are in Ghana, but Researchers estimate that 50% of romance scams originate in West Africa. In Ghana, those scammers are known as Sakawa boys. And whilst I'm here, I'm determined to meet at least one of them. What are the most obvious signs when you look at someone and know that's a Sakawa boy?

[Abdul Razak Kuyini Alhassan]

It is very easy for the community members. Their hairstyle is one of them. Bushy hair. The way they spend money, they don't care.

[Hannah Ajala]

This is Abdul Razak Kuyini Alhassan. He was born and raised in Ghana. Now he's an associate professor at the University of Southeastern Norway. And one of his specialities is Saqawa culture, an area of research that didn't exist 20 years ago. He got interested in the subject the same way Simon did, via his own inbox.

[Abdul Razak Kuyini Alhassan]

And then I started getting emails from unknown people requesting money, asking for help from me. You know, they will give you stories that you keep thinking about this story. What can I do about this? The more I got these messages from people, then I tried to have contact with them. Then I got to know some of them are really deceiving people. I didn't know that these people were Sakawa.

[Hannah Ajala]

Sakawa means putting inside in Hausa, a language spoken in western Central Africa. But it's also become shorthand for criminals who defraud people online. Usually foreigners. Women practice Sakawa too. But pretty much everyone refers to Ghana's online scammers as Sakawa boys. The young men who do it stand out with the brands they're wearing, expensive cars, the number of bottles they pop in a club. And Sakawa is part of a larger cultural phenomenon. There are popular movies about these sorts of fraudsters, and even a genre of music called scam rap.

[Ofa]

Hold on.

[Hannah Ajala]

Huh?

[Ofa]

I got a gang with me. That's a fact. Money coming in with deposit. We live in lavish.

[Hannah Ajala]

This song by NAB is called Scam S C A M, which stands for simple cool, automatic money. In the video, there are a lot of shots of guys fanning fistfuls of cash. Sakawa boys like to wave their money around too. But this isn't just about guys fanning cash, which is typical hip hop posturing. Ghana is a deeply religious country, mostly Christian and Muslim. But Sakawa boys operate outside these boundaries.

[Abdul Razak Kuyini Alhassan]

I would say that the difference between a Sakawa boy and cyber criminal would be that the Sakawa boy involves himself into some kind of spiritual activity. So these spiritual activities has to do with seeking for help to be able to get their clients to give them what they want.

[Hannah Ajala]

When he says spiritual activity, Abdul means voodoo, A religion with a long and complicated history here in ghana. According to him, some saqqawa boys pay voodoo priests to perform rituals to ensure their scams are working spells and ceremonies to make their targets fall in love with them.

[Abdul Razak Kuyini Alhassan]

Among the sakawa boys, there are some who will tell you that, okay, I am not involved in juju, but this other guy is involved in juju.

[Hannah Ajala]

Juju means objects like amulets and charms that are infused with magical powers.

[Abdul Razak Kuyini Alhassan]

Then you want to know, does it really work? When they involve juju into the sekawa business, Then they tell you, yes, it works. It works.

[Hannah Ajala]

But what's important to understand Is that to a lot of west africans, this voodoo connection is what sets sakawa boys apart from other types of criminals. These guys aren't regular hustlers. They're playing with spiritual forces that are profoundly troubling to many Ghanaians. I was kind of confused when I heard about the sakawa boys because this whole sinister idea didn't seem to line up with the Ghana I knew. As a kid, I spent my summers in nigeria with my grandparents, and in my Life, I visited 15 countries in Africa. Ghana is by far the the most chill. Like, if you pay someone in a market with an app, no one will ask to look at your phone to make sure the payment's gone through. They'll just say, oh, it's okay, it's okay. I trust you, and wave you off. That would not fly in nigeria. From my experience, Ghana's like the quiet, relaxed neighbor to Nigeria. Nigeria's having a house party. Ghana's swinging in the hammock. That chill is at odds with the darkness in Ghana's past. The british weren't the first europeans to lay claim to Ghana, but they were the ones who called it the gold coast colony. First they took the gold, Then they took the people. Four hundred years ago, the west coast of Africa was a principal source of enslaved people for the new world. But Ghana was one of the first African nations To gain independence from colonialism, too, Breaking free of British rule in 1957.

[Ofa]

Ghana, your beloved country, is free forever.

[Hannah Ajala]

To this day, it's a proud democracy. It had been economically healthy, too, until the recent worldwide financial downturn. But on a global scale, Ghana is still fairly poor. Ghana also has a very high youth unemployment rate, and it's gotten worse in the past few years.

[Abdul Razak Kuyini Alhassan]

You know, dearest used to teach their children how to farm. Now we say education for everybody. They finish the education, they come home, they find no jobs. If you say that, okay, do not involve in Satawa. What else? What is the better alternative do you have for them?

[Hannah Ajala]

So you've got a group of educated young people who need money but can't find work. That's one part of the equation. But there may be another reason. There's so much cybercrime in Ghana and it's not pretty to describe. What I'm looking at is literally an ocean of waste. I'm not exaggerating. It is an ocean of waste. Ludwig has brought me to Agbogboloshi, one of the world's biggest dump sites for electronic waste. There's a tractor vehicle moving through. There's like thick black bits of liquid that's been streamed out. I'm just really thankful for the too thick face mask that I'm wearing right now. We're here because this dump might be part of why so much cybercrime is happening in Ghana. Massive shipping containers of old and discarded electronics arrive at the port not far from here. Many from Western Europe and the us. There are theories that this garbage is the source of personal information that some scammers use to trap their victims. The fumes taste toxic even through the mask. And in the distance, people are ankle, even knee deep in the waist, looking for pieces to sell. Like there's so many things we see here right in front of me, as well as the call to prayer in the background. There's a woman in front of me with a baby. Sorry. She's closer to the waste site than I am and I feel affected. I can't help but worry about the health dangers and the health risks. The dump is a universe unto itself. All around it are homes, markets, stalls, people buying fresh fruits. There's a weird symmetry to Agbogboloshi. The garbage comes in, people pick it over. And in the markets nearby, you can buy all the bits and pieces to build computers. When it's time to get rid of that computer, it gets trashed here too. In 2009, a hard drive containing confidential information about a 22 million dollar deal deal between the US government and Defense contractors was discovered on the black market. It had been purchased used in an Accra suburb. The FBI traced the drive to Agbo Boloshi, where it had ended up after being thrown out. Of course, today everything's in the cloud. So the stolen images that scammers use don't have to come from an abandoned hard drive. In his article, Simon reported that Janessa herself was likely the victim of a hack. He believed she had her personal photo stolen and that's part of why her image is so easily replicated. Whether or not that's true, and I hope to ask her when I find her. What we do know is that Ghana is awash in refurbished laptops and phones. Ludwig and I head into a store that sells used computer parts. It's like the garage of a tech hoarder. Piles of cables, keyboards, drives. To protect his identity. I'll call him Mohammed. Thank you very much. So how long have you been working with computers? Mohammed doesn't speak much English, so Ludwig translates. I want to know if Saqawa boys come here to get parts to build their computers.

[Unknown]

So according to him, he's so sure that the fraud boys, I mean the, the Sakawa boys come to buy but he, they cannot openly tell him that oh, I'm going to use it for this. They wouldn't say that. But then the appearance tells that okay, this is this kind of person.

[Hannah Ajala]

The appearance, the hair, the car, the flash. At these stores parts go cheap.

[Unknown]

So like you said, the hard drives depending on the size of the space and. But you can get as low as 60 Ghana cities and 100 cities. So if you.

[Hannah Ajala]

That's about 10 US dollars for a used hard drive. We walk another 10 minutes and head into another store. This one is much fancier, less diy. You'd never know the brand name computers on display were used. A sales assistant shows us around the store. I'll call him Matthew. There's so many crisp looking laptops, even nicer than my own. And I guess if a Sakawa boy is doing quite well, he's making money. He could then come here for his upgrade computer.

[Ludwig]

Yeah, they do come here for an upgrade of a computer, especially when the machine is slow. So he comes in, buys a machine which is faster for him.

[Hannah Ajala]

And when they come in here to buy it, do they pay in cash or what? This store also repairs computers. And that's when Matthew and his fellow workers see Sakawa up close.

[Ludwig]

As people bring their machines, you work on it immediately you open it. The files on the machine will give you an information that this is what they use the machine for.

[Hannah Ajala]

What kind of files and things do you see?

[Ludwig]

There are lots of. Especially those who do fraudulent. They come, they have different types of ladies on it. Especially when you open and use. These guys have different type of ladies. 4, 5, 6 different types. They know this guy, this is his business.

[Unknown]

They are models.

[Ludwig]

They are models. Nude pictures.

[Hannah Ajala]

How does it make you feel? Knowing that there's a community, there's a growing community of men, boys in this Ghana that are using these same computers that you have here in your shops, basically adding to this money making lifestyle that they've created for themselves.

[Ludwig]

Even if you feel embarrassed, you know Africa is difficult. You know how Africa is very difficult. In me, making money in Africa is not so easy. So you don't really complain. Just know this guy walks around with his car and he's happy. So everybody doesn't really care about how people make their money really in Africa.

[Hannah Ajala]

I do though. I care how people make their money and I want to meet a Sakawa boy to ask him about it. The problem is Ludwig hasn't had a lot of luck finding one. For every interview he books, there's a cancellation and then someone did emerge. It's one of those a guy who knows a guy who knows a guy situations. He texted Ludwig that he was willing to talk to me and then he cancelled twice. If I'm honest, maybe I was a little relieved. The more I learn about Sakawa, the more on edge I feel about sitting down with a Sakawa boy. And that's what's in my head as I sit in that roadside cafe, nervously holding my fan and just about to give up. But then, oh, I actually think I see him pulling up. Oh, yeah, that's, that's him. I see him. Rapidly rising prices, people infected with COVID killing the brunt of climate change.

[Susan Bonner]

The world is so connected that if you really want to understand what's going on where you live, you also need to know what's going on elsewhere.

[Hannah Ajala]

It's a really important issue.

[Susan Bonner]

It's going to be very difficult because. So twice a day, the Global News podcast brings you a snapshot of the most important stories from around the world.

[Hannah Ajala]

A huge political issue, a full scale invasion. The race against the clock.

[Abdul Razak Kuyini Alhassan]

An historic day.

[Susan Bonner]

And with BBC reporters stationed across the globe, you can be sure that we're telling you what's really going on.

[Hannah Ajala]

Our correspondent in Washington, in Beirut, in.

[Susan Bonner]

Nairobi, the Global News Podcast from the BBC World Service.

[Ofa]

It's stunning.

[Susan Bonner]

Search for the Global News Podcast.

[Unknown]

A Prime Minister resigns, A president returns. A whole world of changes to navigate and understand. If you're someone trying to sort through what's real and what's relevant from a Canadian perspective, we are here for you every night of the week. Your world Tonight is more than just a recap of daily news. Our award winning team goes deeper on stories that speak to the moment. The full picture, context and analysis all in about 25 minutes. I'm Susan Bonner. Find and Follow youw World Tonight from CBC News, wherever you get your podcasts.

[Hannah Ajala]

He's wearing a yellow T shirt. He's not alone. He's not driving. It's like a little car. Quite discreet. Nothing too flashy. Oh, gosh. Okay. I'm in the cafe under a palm tree. A car pulls up. Three men are inside. They're all wearing covered face masks, so I can't see them too clearly. Let me respectfully greet. I thought that they'd be coming out of the car, but I guess not. But I'm still a distance away. I don't even think they can see me. One moment. Looks like our guy rolls with a crew. I'm across the patio, but I can hear them talking to Ludwig in Tree, one of the dialects spoken in Ghana. Before they switch to English. Two of them get back in the car for the whole interview. I'm in their line of sight. Our guy walks over to my table very slowly, like, you can wait for me a minute. Then he extends his hand. He goes by the name Ofa. He's in his mid-30s, wearing a yellow top and trainers. He has little plaits poking out of his ball cap and a bit of a belly. Okay, Ofa, could you count from one to 10, please? Yeah.

[Susan Bonner]

Thank you.

[Ofa]

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.

[Hannah Ajala]

Lovely. And I'm going to be talking at this level from here. Yeah, sounds good. Then he takes his mask off. How would you describe that journey from when you started?

[Ofa]

When? When I started.

[Hannah Ajala]

Quick note, it's really loud where we're talking. And Ofa is a soft talker, so I'll paraphrase from time to time.

[Ofa]

I met a friend, okay? So I told him I need a wig. So he said, then you can get him with a job. So I went to his house, and I saw a lot of laptops, and he gave me one phone. He opened a Facebook account for me. I choose a different picture. Not my picture, but I choose a different picture to open the Facebook account.

[Hannah Ajala]

So in this house filled with phones and laptops, Ofa sets up a fake Facebook page profile, and he's all set.

[Ofa]

I got likes and I got friends, you know, so one also, she likes me. So I also show interest. Then I started from there.

[Hannah Ajala]

And it would be good to know how you choose the individuals who you think you can start a relationship with. How do you do that? Okay.

[Ofa]

It takes time. It's no easy because the person that you are talking to doesn't know anything. So for the person to trust you is very difficult. So when you get the client, you have to show trust. And also the person has to show trust to you. You have to be online talking to the person. Make sure that you are in for the person. So you have to let the person know that you are there for him or her. So you have to build that relationship for the person to trust you before you can get something from the person. Also, it's a process.

[Hannah Ajala]

This early stage of what OFA calls the process looks almost like any relationship. Staying up late, chatting on the phone, building trust and deepening the connection. It takes time to fall in love. Can you talk me through a time when you did that and how it went?

[Ofa]

So there was a one lady, she's just a little bit old, like let's see, 50s. She also sent me a friend request and I accepted it.

[Hannah Ajala]

So you're speaking to this older woman. And who are you? Are you a young Ghanaian man?

[Ofa]

I'm not a young Ghanaian man because I do the US in the States.

[Hannah Ajala]

When he's chatting on Facebook to this woman in her 50s, he's not a young man in Ghana. He's an American who has to travel a lot for work.

[Ofa]

Okay, so I also were using a picture. Pictures that some have been taken from us because I downloaded from the Internet. I told her I'm interested in her. She also accepted it. We started from there.

[Hannah Ajala]

Who actually decides the images that are used for these Sakawa scams? Can you just easily just pick your own and you don't need anyone to approve it.

[Ofa]

You alone cannot do the business. So you have to ask maybe from team A.

[Hannah Ajala]

Team B.

[Ofa]

If team A doesn't have it, Team B might have it. So that's how it works.

[Hannah Ajala]

So these Takawa boys work in teams sharing images and information. It reminds me of something. Ansho Rege, the professor who studies online romance scams, told me that these guys work from pull playbooks and they have different roles like in any company. Some recruit clients, others collect funds or provide IT support creating fake IDs and documents. I ask OFA how long it took to ask his so called client for money.

[Ofa]

Okay, let's say about four months. I remember the first money I took from work. I told her I've traveled and I don't have my card, so if she can send me money. And she did.

[Hannah Ajala]

So after four months of chatting, he tells her he's on one of his many trips and he's lost his credit card. He says the woman Sends him a money transfer.

[Jamie Poisson]

Okay.

[Hannah Ajala]

And just thinking about your relationship, was it mostly through typing? Were there ever any phone calls?

[Ofa]

Most of the times they are tested.

[Hannah Ajala]

Okay.

[Ofa]

Because I don't want her to see my face.

[Hannah Ajala]

So there was never any video calls?

[Ofa]

There was, but I told her my phone was, I mean, broken, so the screen is not working. I have to find some story for her so that she will believe it. Always I have a story. Always I have a story.

[Hannah Ajala]

He tells her his phone is broken and that's why she can't see his face. Ofa must be a pretty good storyteller because she believed him. He says she even sent him a new phone. But he had a way of avoiding a video call with his upgrade too.

[Ofa]

Sometimes when she calls to, it's in the dark, so, you know, you can't see my face, but I can just do it for my face.

[Hannah Ajala]

Ofa stretches his arms and holds the phone far away to demonstrate.

[Ofa]

Can you see me? Can you see?

[Hannah Ajala]

So even though Ofa was pretending to be American, this woman must have sent a phone to Ghana. It's perplexing. Like so much of the romance scam storytelling, it makes me think of Simon's Janessa. How she turned herself in knots to explain how and why she was in Ghana, or why she needed money sent to Nigeria, or how she went to Toronto in the middle of winter to escape a scandal in the us. It almost seems like the more unbelievable the stories get, the more willing the victims are to believe them. And how long did that relationship last?

[Ofa]

Oh, almost a year almost.

[Hannah Ajala]

And why did the relationship end?

[Ofa]

One day she suspected that I'm fring.

[Hannah Ajala]

She suspected he was frauding her.

[Ofa]

Because I remember I asked her some amount of money and she told me she's not having it. So I was pressured to get the money from me. So she suspected us. She suspected us.

[Hannah Ajala]

Which countries would you say you target the most?

[Ofa]

I don't really have a choice but us, Canada and let's say Australia.

[Hannah Ajala]

And who do you usually contact? Is it just women? Men? Both.

[Ofa]

Both. Because I can also be like a woman.

[Hannah Ajala]

He can be like a woman, or at least sound like one.

[Ofa]

So we have a phone that we can change your voice. Maybe if you are my friend and you're a woman, I can talk to you to talk to someone for me. Then I will write it for you. I'll tell you what to do for me. Let me do that.

[Hannah Ajala]

So if the scam has progressed long enough, the target might need to hear the voice of the woman he's Falling for Ofa writes a script and pulls in a female friend to make the call. Has anyone ever asked for information from you to confirm your identity, like ID or videos or something?

[Ofa]

So if she asks something like that, I can call someone. Okay, create something this for me. We have software.

[Hannah Ajala]

So Ofa says he has a guy who can fake almost any kind of document using software. I remember Simon being persuaded he was communicating with the real Janessa because of a picture of a driver's license he'd been sent. The technology is sophisticated and evolving fast. Ofa has heard about Saqawa boys who can alter still photos photos to make them look like videos.

[Ofa]

Day in day, our people are doing more things. So I just have to do anything for her to know that I'm a real. For any information she wants, I can.

[Hannah Ajala]

Get it at any given moment. Ofa says he has dozens of victims on the go. I can't help but think about the multitasking that happens, especially as a Sakawa boy. Many who will have multiple relationships at the same time. How do you maintain that?

[Ofa]

It's noisy, but you know, you know, it's like dating someone, marrying to four wives.

[Hannah Ajala]

To keep track of the multiple tales he's spinning, Ofa writes them all down.

[Ofa]

And you have to be smart. You have to remember everything that you told them. If you can't, you just have to put them down, write them down. Especially the detox. Because sometimes they might ask you, do you remember my deed of death?

[Hannah Ajala]

So when he's in character, Ofa never wants to be the bad lover who misses a birthday. But because he says he's scamming so many people at once, he needs a spreadsheet to keep track of all the details. When he's talking about the logistics stakes, I'm thinking, oh, scamming is really just a job. One with a lot of boring admin work. And the payoff is hardly immediate.

[Ofa]

I started without getting anything. So after a year, now a year, then I started getting this much more money. It's not easy for you to just get the money from them, just straight because you have to build a trust.

[Hannah Ajala]

It took a year year before he started earning. Another not so great thing about this job. It requires investment up front.

[Ofa]

We have to send some cards to them. Send. You can even buy online food for them, pizza, you know, flowers. I mean, just surprise them with those things.

[Hannah Ajala]

Yeah. So let's talk money. What's the largest amount you've received from someone?

[Ofa]

I have received 10,000 before. And 50,000.

[Hannah Ajala]

That's US$50,000, so 50,000 being the largest. And how did that come about? Was that just in one go or was it bits different people?

[Ofa]

Okay. Because I collected from here. I collected from here, and I got that.

[Hannah Ajala]

Do you ever sometimes feel bad that you're scamming people, including people who really like you?

[Ofa]

Very, very bad. You feel bad. Definitely. You know, it's because of work, because of money. If you have a family, you have to, I mean, take off one or two things. So I also always feel bad for that. I always feel bad.

[Hannah Ajala]

I'm surprised by his answer, but he seems sincere, looks down, his face kind of falling, like he's ashamed. But then this other part of me is like, oh, Hannah, maybe he's scamming you. Are you a family man yourself?

[Ofa]

I am. Yeah.

[Hannah Ajala]

I can tell you have a. You have a wedding band on. Happily married. You're a dad of two or three.

[Ofa]

No yet to come. But I have.

[Hannah Ajala]

Okay.

[Ofa]

Siblings. You know, I have sibling that. I'm the one taking care of them.

[Hannah Ajala]

Okay.

[Ofa]

Yeah. So.

[Hannah Ajala]

So let's say 20 years from now, would you still be happy to be doing what you're doing?

[Ofa]

Actually, I have planned to stop. I have plans to stop, so. Because as time also goes on, if I believe in a karma and what goes around comes around, so maybe my children also might be falling. Same thing. Even if not my children, my relative or, you know. So it is not something that I'm willing to do.

[Hannah Ajala]

And do any of your friends or family know what you do?

[Ofa]

Okay, my friends, some. Not all of them. Like my family doesn't know.

[Hannah Ajala]

Are there other jobs that you're doing as well as this?

[Ofa]

Yeah.

[Hannah Ajala]

He lists four different jobs. He's clearly an aspiring entrepreneur.

[Ofa]

You cannot be doing only one work and survive. You have to be in all angles. Just to make money is not easy.

[Hannah Ajala]

Ofa only agreed to a half hour, and we're just winding up. I notice one of the men has stepped out of the car, like he's ready to go. I have one last question. I hand ofa my phone. So this is a lady calls Janessa. And I just want you to tell me if you've ever seen this woman before.

[Ofa]

Is she an actress?

[Hannah Ajala]

He swiped one Janessa pic after another. Those familiar dark eyes, that bikini. The reason why I ask you that is because this woman is pretty famous for having her images being shared thousands of times. So, afok, would you use an image like Janessa's?

[Ofa]

Yeah, of course. If I get pictures like, you know, it doesn't have to be one picture. It has to be multiples of pictures. Picture that she has been to a gym. Picture that she has been to a pool. Pictures that, I mean cooking, you know, all stuff so I can use it. And oh yeah, because she's pretty and.

[Hannah Ajala]

Can do a lot with her picture, I can do a lot. Ofa has never used Janessa's image in a scam before. But to him, it's no mystery why her photos are so popular. Ofa gets up from the table. He shakes my hand. So thank you for speaking with me. Thank you. I'd been so nervous before, but what strikes me now, when Ofa is getting in the car to leave, is the ordinariness of the whole encounter. He was polite. He helped me when my microphone wires got tangled. He seemed like an average guy with a grinding job. It was almost easy to forget what chaos, what suffering comes out of that so called job. And how many lives have been upended by online scams. On the next episode of Love Janessa. Our search for Janessa Brazil closes in. Hi. Voce fala ingles? No. I wanted someone to tell me why Janessa seemed to disappear around 2016. I think she's finding out if someone speaks English that can speak to me. Senora au gran falaenglish. At one point, I started to wonder if Janessa had died. This explanation seemed entirely possible. Her photos, all our photos, live on forever, long after we're gone. But then my producers sent me a link. Janessa, say hi to Nicole.

[Ofa]

Hi Nicole.

[Hannah Ajala]

Hi Janessa. And suddenly she seemed very much alive. Foreignessa is produced by Antica Productions and Telltale Industries for the BBC World Service and CBC Podcasts. I'm Hannah Ajala. Our producers are Katrina Onstad and Laura Regue. Associate producers are Hailey Choi and Simona Rata. Sound design and audio mix by Philip Wilson and Janine White. Executive producers are Stuart Cox and Jago Lee at CBC Podcasts. Emily Kanal is coordinating producer, Chris Oak is executive producer and Arif Narani is the director at the BBC World Service. Anne Dixie is senior podcast producer and John Minnell is the podcast commissioning editor. Thanks for listening. Foreign.

[Unknown]

Service and CBC Podcast production.