Not long after I came out of a broken relationship, I received a text from a strange number. He introduced himself and mentioned that he picked my number from our school’s WhatsApp group. After he mentioned his name he said, “I am offering MBA Human Resource, what about you?” I answered, “I am offering an MBA in strategic management.” He then asked why he hadn’t seen me around on campus. I explained that he was my senior and I didn’t like entering seniors’ classes. We both laughed over this.

The connection we made on our first conversation was great. It felt like we knew each other already. We talked about our jobs. “I am a military officer,” he said. The next thing he said was a question. “Will you be my girlfriend? I want to marry you.” I was shocked. “We are talking for the first time. You haven’t even seen me yet but you want to marry me?” His response was, “I am a man who knows what I want. And I always go for the things I want.” That statement had alarm bells ringing in my head. So I made up my mind that I wouldn’t get involved with him.

Wonder refused to take no for an answer. He would text me in the morning, “Good morning beautiful. I love you. Please allow us to meet.” If I told him no today, tomorrow he would ask again. This continued for several months until one day I got tired and said, “Yes. We can meet.” When I finally got to see him I liked him. He proposed again and this time I said yes.

After that first date, he asked to know my place. I didn’t have a problem with it. I figured at some point we had to know each other’s houses so it was fine. After that visit, we always spoke on the phone. He called me several times during the day but it was difficult to get him after 8:00 PM. He insisted we only text after that time.

I asked why we couldn’t talk at night and he said, “My room echoes at night so my neighbours end up listening to my conversations.” His explanation didn’t make sense but I accepted it. As our relationship got more intense, I also asked to know his place. He said, “Oh, I want you to know where I live but that won’t be possible right now. My bungalow is not in a good shape. So wait till I move to the new bungalow they’ve built for officers.” He said it would take a month. It was at this point that I started having doubts about him.

While my doubts grew, he kept singing promises of the beautiful future he was planning for us. Every time we talked he mentioned that he had people in high positions like the Army, GNFS, Ambulance Service, and all the other security services. He even mentioned a long list of people he helped to get enlisted into these security services.

I figured if my boyfriend was helping other people get jobs then he could get a job for my younger brother as well. My brother has always wanted to join the military so I requested for the army. He quickly said, “That’s not a problem at all. Send me your brother’s particulars and medical report. I will work on it for you.” I did exactly as he asked and he assured me that the deal was done.

One early morning he sent me a series of forwarded texts which said I should send GHC3,800 to secure my brother’s place. Compared to the amount of money I felt this was no money, compared to the amount of money people pay for these opportunities, I concluded what he was demanding was no money. So I sent it to him without asking any questions. This is my boyfriend we are talking about. He wouldn’t lie to me. Would he?

My mother even asked if I was sure that I wasn’t getting defrauded. I assured her that the person working on the job was my boyfriend so it was genuine.

A few weeks after I made the first payment, a strange number texted me on WhatsApp. The person claimed they were from the manpower unit of the Ghana Army. I was asked to pay GHC800 for medicals as a guardian of my brother. I forwarded the message to my boyfriend and he gave me the go-ahead to send it. Once again, I did as he asked.

A week later, the same number texted me again asking for another amount of money to make some finishing touches with respect to my brother’s recruitment process. I didn’t say anything. I just sent it. It didn’t end there. The request to send money kept coming until I became fed up and told my boyfriend that I was not sending any money to anyone again.

He thought I was joking so he didn’t take me seriously. When he realized that I was serious about it he called one afternoon to tell me that he paid part of the money so I should settle the balance. He then asked me to text the number and let them know that an officer made part payment of the money.

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I texted the number and relayed the information just as he said. The person responded, “You sent a whole officer of the Army to run an errand on behalf of a common recruit?” This response made me very angry. So I replied, “Be careful with your utterances because you do not know the person behind this account. If you were standing in front of me, you wouldn’t dare talk to me anyhow.”

It was after that conversation that I came to my senses and accepted that this guy was scamming me. I forwarded the messages to my boyfriend and ranted to him. Since then I started ignoring him. He kept asking why I was acting cold and distant but I continued to ignore him.

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One day he texted me again and I let him have it. I told him, “I know that you have defrauded me. If you don’t want any trouble, send me back my money. If you don’t, you will never know peace.” I also threatened to have him arrested. He tried to lie about it, but he realized I didn’t believe him anymore. So he stopped contacting me.

Now, I can’t tell my family about this. Every time I go on my knees to pray, I curse him. If he doesn’t send me back my money, he will never know peace. I still have his clothes in my room. When I remember him I feel like taking him to a fetish priest. I am finding it so difficult to forgive him. I don’t know what to do.

—Ama

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