Sakawa is a term used in Ghana that can mean any kind of internet fraud or scam of the sort we are frequently warned to be wary of. In this documentary directed by Ben Asamoah, we are given a wide-ranging look at this type of crime, focused on online schemes involving romance and courtship used mainly to steal money from Westerners.
Here, the swindlers do not operate in sophisticated networks working in offices or call centres. They operate from market stalls in very poor neighbourhoods. Most of the fraudsters are very simple people who do what they do to survive and escape poverty, never justifying the crimes they are committing. The men talk about clients from different countries, about everything that is done to lure victims and about how they exploit the tools they use. Much of the documentary takes place during a training session given to a new member of the group who is learning how to apply the tricks of the trade. When clients become difficult, the scammers resort to threats and even to witch-doctor practices, which sometimes result in a mixture of age-old customs and modern technology.
In Sakawa, the swindlers do not operate in sophisticated networks working in offices or call centres. They operate from market stalls in very poor neighbourhoods
Filmed in Ghana and visually appealing, Sakawa was very well received by international critics, having won several awards at prestigious festivals. The director of the film strove to denounce the existence of these fraudulent networks, presenting the negative effects they cause, the dangers of the technological world, and teaching us how we should protect ourselves from them. Sakawa is a convincing documentary, offering a fascinating, non-judgemental and somewhat dark look at the world of Ghana's internet scammers, which, in fact, is also felt in Mozambique and pretty much everywhere
