Readout of Justice Department Officials' Trip to Ghana and Togo to Advance West Africa Consumer Fraud Initiative

Deputy Assistant Attorney General Arun G. Rao and Deputy Director Richard Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch (CPB), together with colleagues from CPB and the FBI, met Sept. 11 to 15 with various key law enforcement partners to advance CPB’s West Africa Consumer Fraud Initiative in Ghana and Togo and combat fraud schemes originating in western Africa or facilitated by criminal enterprises operating in the region.

Meetings in Ghana took place with the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO), the Office of the Special Prosecutor, the Office of the Attorney General, the National Intelligence Bureau, the Ghana Police Service, the Financial Intelligence Centre, the Ghana Immigration Service and the Ghana Revenue Authority.Meetings in Ghana took place with the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO), the Office of the Special Prosecutor, the Office of the Attorney General, the National Intelligence Bureau, the Ghana Police Service, the Financial Intelligence Centre, the Ghana Immigration Service and the Ghana Revenue Authority.

Meetings in Togo took place with La Direction Générale de la Police Nationale (National Police, Inspector General), Brigade de la Renseignement d’investigations (Investigations and Intelligence Brigade), Direction Centrale de la Police Judicaire (Judicial Police), Direction Générale de la Documentation Nationale (National Documentation Director), Office Central de Répression du Trafic Illicite des Drogues et du Blanchiment (Anti-Drug Trafficking and Anti-Money Laundering – AHTU/AML Office) and La Cellule National de Traitement d’Information Financielle (The National Financial Intelligence Unit).

In their meetings in Ghana, the parties discussed strengthening cooperation and collaboration on parallel investigations and providing training assistance. In addition, CPB and FBI officials shared valuable insights and lessons learned related to the investigation and prosecution of cases involving fraud and public corruption. 

In their meeting with EOCO, the parties discussed ways to build upon prior joint successes combating transnational organized crime schemes and romance fraud, including through reducing the time it takes to share evidence and how the department can further assist EOCO prosecutions in Ghana and facilitate asset forfeiture and recovery.

In Togo, the parties discussed the initiation and continuation of joint efforts to combat cyber-enabled fraud originating in or affecting Togo. They focused on aligning priorities and exploring strategies for improving lines of communication and information-sharing mechanisms.

The CPB’s West Africa Consumer Fraud Initiative seeks to address fraud schemes, including romance scams that often target elderly and vulnerable U.S. victims, pandemic relief fraud, unemployment insurance fraud and business email compromise scams, originating in western Africa (or facilitated by criminal enterprises operating in the region), with a focus on both perpetrators and money launderers. In 2022, the FTC’s Consumer Sentinel database received romance scam reports from nearly 70,000 people, with losses of $1.3 billion. That same year, the FBI received over 21,000 complaints of business email compromise schemes, with losses of $2.7 billion.

In addition to prosecuting criminal elder fraud cases, CPB provides guidance to U.S. Attorneys' Offices, the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Secret Service and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service on fraud investigations with links to the region.