The Kumasi woman who was defrauded of GHS 30,000 by a prisoner posing as a U.S. Marine engineer comes under suspicion.

A Kumasi woman who had previously worked as a housemaid in Dubai has fallen victim to a complex internet fraud that was planned by an inmate at the Nsawam Medium Security Prison, according to GhPage. The scammer, who went by the name Sadat, pretended to be a marine engineer with a U.S. address and spoke with the woman over Facebook, where they exchanged phone and video chats.

Sadat presented the woman to someone he said was his mother, and they started talking about getting married. Believing that their relationship was genuine, the woman traveled back to Ghana from Dubai to get ready for a traditional wedding.

When Sadat told her that he had shipped wedding supplies to Ghana in a container but that they needed to be cleared at the port, the fraud took a different turn. In order to pay the customs clearance expenses, he asked for GHS 30,000. The woman sent the needed cash since she trusted him, but she later found out that no container had actually been transported. She became aware that she had been duped at that point.

When Sadat allegedly tried to use pornographic videos she had provided with him as blackmail, threatening to disclose them unless she cooperated with his demands, the situation deteriorated. Devastated by what had happened, the woman apparently passed out from shock.

In an interview with the Crime Check Foundation, her story was revealed, bringing attention to the growing number of internet frauds, particularly those that prey on the weak. The victim’s story emphasizes the perils of putting your trust in strangers on social media and the deceptive methods scammers employ to play on people’s emotions and get money.

Although Sadat’s possible legal proceedings have not yet been discussed by authorities, the episode should serve as a reminder to others to exercise caution when forming contacts online.