Ghana's President, John Dramani Mahama, has vowed to send romance scammers and other cybercriminals abroad for prosecution, sparking social media conversation.

During the launch of Ghana’s Joint Cyber Security Committee in Accra on Wednesday, October 1, President Mahama said the West African country will not be a safe haven for romance scammers, vowing that his government will "ship the culprits back."

This comes just weeks after over 1,200 people were arrested and approximately $100 million recovered in a major crackdown against rising cybercrime in several African countries.

Many of those arrested were involved in fake love promises and online extortion.

Cross regional crime

According to Interpol, cybercrime now accounts for over 30% of all reported crimes in West and East Africa.

The arrests were made during a coordinated operation carried out by at least 18 African countries in collaboration with Interpol.

The Interpol identified around 88,000 victims of fraud and other cybercrimes between June and August 2025.

President Mahama emphasised that Ghana, one of the West African countries worst affected by romance scams, is determined to flush out scammers.

He was quoted as saying, "Anybody involved in romance scams, whether you're a foreigner or a Ghanaian citizen, we will hand you over to be tried and punished accordingly."

International colaboration

The Joint Cyber Security Committee (JCC), inaugurated by President Mahama, will ensure coherence, coordination, and proactive measures in the national defence architecture.

"A hacker in one country can breach systems halfway across the world within seconds, and that's why Ghana cannot act alone. We must collaborate with the rest of the world," President Mahama said.

In September, Ghana's Minister of Communication, Digital Technology, and Innovation, Samuel Nartey, reported that the country lost 15 million Ghanaian cedis, approximately $1.2 million, to cybercrime in the first six months of 2025 alone.

The Ghanaian government is optimistic that its latest measures will help reverse the trend.