S25 E3: Meet The Boys | "Love, Janessa"

The Expert Witness from Uncover

CBC

True Crime

4.5 • 10.9K Ratings

🗓️ 11 March 2024

⏱️ 40 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Tracking down scammers – how and why do they do it? One tells host Hannah Ajala: “I always feel bad”. Researchers estimate half of global romance scams originate in West Africa. In Ghana, there are the Sakawa Boys. The conning process can involve staying up late, chatting on the phone… building trust and deepening the connection — a bit like a real relationship. It takes time to fall “in love”.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	This is a CBC podcast.
0:04.0	Before we start, please note this series contains adult themes and strong language. Whenever I'm in Ghana I always carry a little battery with me.
0:17.0	Whenever I'm in Ghana I always carry a little battery-powered hand fan with me.
0:22.0	Probably looks a little
0:24.4	diva but it's the best defense against the heat.
0:28.2	Also, fanning yourself gives you something to do when you're nervous.
0:32.2	Like I am, sitting here on the patio of a cafe in Accra,
0:36.2	waiting. Every car that goes by I think, is that the guy I'm waiting for his rescheduled twice already
0:46.8	first he didn't want to meet indoors so he had to find exactly the right
0:51.6	outdoor location.
0:53.7	Then the rain set in and he cancelled again.
0:57.6	Now I'm nervous that he won't show up at all.
1:07.9	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
1:16.6	he victims by using other people's images. Images like Janessa's.
1:33.8	From CBC Podcasts and the BBC World Service, my name is Hanajala, and this is Love,
1:37.8	Janessa.
1:38.8	The story of my wild quest to find the woman whose face and body is the bait
1:48.7	used in catfishing schemes around the world.
2:17.8	Episode 3, Meet the Boys. boys. City five cities. We are two cities. The two cities is fine, right? Yes, I don't know if I have small change. Okay, yep, there you go. Eh, ten. So, would you like some plantain chips?
2:24.4	Oh, then you do it.
2:25.4	I take. You can never say no to plantain chips?
2:29.6	Yeah, so.
	...

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