Ghana 2018 Crime & Safety Report According to the current U.S. Department of State Travel Advisory at the date of this report’s publication, Ghana has been assessed as a “Level 1: Exercise normal precautions” country. However, some areas of the country, including parts of Accra, have increased risk due to crime. Overall Crime and Safety Situation U.S. Embassy Accra does not assume responsibility for the professional ability or integrity of the persons or firms appearing in this report. The American Citizen Services (ACS) Unit cannot recommend a particular individual or location and assumes no responsibility for the quality of service provided. The U.S. Department of State has assessed Accra as being a CRITICAL-threat location for crime directed at or affecting official U.S. government interests. Please review OSAC’s Ghana-specific page for original analytic reports, consular alerts, and contact information, some of which may be available only to private-sector representatives with an OSAC password. The Republic of Ghana is a developing country in West Africa. It comprises 10 regions, and the capital is Accra. Tourism can be found in most of the regions, but infrastructure is lacking. Despite a short era of economic growth between 2000 and 2009, the country remains vulnerable to external economic pressures. Crime Threats Street crime is a serious problem throughout the country and is especially acute in Accra and other larger cities. Pickpocketing, purse snatching, and various scams are the most common forms of crime encountered by visitors. U.S. travelers have experienced these crimes in crowded areas. Victims of opportunistic and violent crime are more likely to be targeted based on perceived affluence and/or perceived vulnerability. Walking alone is not advisable, especially after dark and in poorly illuminated or isolated areas, as this may increase risk of being targeted by criminals. Theft of belongings has occurred in hotels. Perpetrators of these crimes may range from opportunistic thieves to career criminals who monitor the behavioral patterns of guests. Consider changing rooms for long-term stays. While valuables and cash should be stored in hotel safety deposit boxes or room safes, hotel safes can be accessed by hotel personnel even when locked. Opportunistic crimes targeting motorists and passengers in vehicles are common. Criminals may exploit unlocked car doors or rolled down windows to steal belongings from vehicles in traffic. Do not open your doors/windows to give money to beggars or street vendors. Thieves and armed robbers have targeted motorists using ruses in order to extort money; such incidents have increasingly occurred in parts of Accra and commonly occur in congested urban areas. In some cases, robbers have intentionally caused fender benders or pretended to be hit in 1 order to get vehicles to stop. Others have attempted to “warn” drivers of a mechanical problem or flat tire. Drivers should maintain sufficient distance between their vehicle and the one ahead of them while stopped in traffic to enable evasive action and to avoid being boxed in by criminals. Property crimes against foreigners remain a concern, especially residential burglaries and vehicle theft. There have been burglary attempts against expatriate residences, but perpetrators generally lack the sophistication required to overcome home alarm systems and static security guards. Robbers may wait outside houses to ambush residents as they enter or exit the property. Vehicle theft is a major concern, as well as stolen vehicles being shipped from overseas into Ghana for resale. Thefts of items from vehicles are prevalent. Incidences of violent crime are on the rise, including reports of armed robberies in expatriate residential areas. Most cases occur at night, although some have happened during the daytime. Victims of robbery should comply with perpetrators’ demands, as resistance may cause the situation to escalate to violence. Travel to tourist and historic areas of the country is popular and generally safe; however, armed robbery does occur and is especially common on rural roads; some cases have been accompanied by violence. The potential for carjacking exists, but there have been no reported occurrences in 2017. Rape and gender-based remains a serious problem. Even though rape is a crime punishable by 5- 25 years in prison, cases of rape remain significantly underreported. While domestic violence is a crime punishable by up to two years in prison and/or a fine, police rarely respond to reports of domestic violence. Female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) remains a serious problem, particularly in the north of the country, even though it has been outlawed. There are occasional reports of clashes between government forces and criminal groups; however, foreigners are normally not affected. Travelers should check with local authorities before venturing off main roads in outlying areas. Credit/debit card fraud and related scams are common. Skimming is the primary means of credit fraud and is undetectable until fraudulent charges appear on statements. It is very common for credit card terminals to be tampered with. Many Ghanaians, as well as foreigners, fall victim to this type of fraud. Use of credit cards should be avoided if possible, as a growing number of travelers have been victims of credit card fraud. If travelers choose to use a credit card anywhere in Ghana, they should monitor their credit card activity closely. For more information, please review OSAC’s Report, “The Overseas Traveler’s Guide to ATM Skimmers & Fraud.” Piracy and armed robbery in the Gulf of Guinea continue to trend upward with more incidents occurring in 2016 than in the previous four years. These incidents have continued into 2017. Cybersecurity Issues U.S. citizens frequently consult the Embassy regarding questionable business offers originating or claiming to originate from Ghana. Perpetrators of business fraud often target foreigners, including Americans. Such fraud schemes are now prevalent throughout West Africa. Business scams typically begin with an unsolicited communication (usually by e-mail) from an unknown individual who pitches a business opportunity promising quick financial gain. These “opportunities” usually involve the transfer of a large sum of money or valuables out of the country and the payment of a series of “advance fees,” such as fees to open a bank account or to pay 2 certain taxes, to conclude the transaction; however, the final payoff does not exist. The purpose of the scams is to collect money from the victim through these fees. The Embassy has received reports of fraudulent charities soliciting contributions via the internet or direct mail. If you receive business offers or charity requests, particularly unsolicited ones, carefully check out the requesting entity before committing any funds, providing any goods or services, or undertaking any travel. U.S. citizens are also frequently targeted through email spear-phishing campaigns originating or claiming to originate from Ghana. Spear-phishers make contact under the guise of a business contact or possible future business associate and attempt to pass contact information via emails that contain questionable links. Unwitting recipients click on these links, compromising their email accounts and making victims’ personally identifiable information (PII) readily available to cyber criminals. Another common ploy is for a perpetrator to claim he is a member of the Special Forces on a secret mission in Accra whose government has abandoned him. The perpetrator will ask for a laptop, expensive cellphone, and/or some other pricey “necessity.” Many of these operations link to internet cafes in Accra, with some cafes developing reputations for certain types of fraud based on trends in schemes originating from their location. There are multiple variations of internet romance or friendship scams perpetrated by English- speaking Ghanaians targeting Westerners through various dating and social networking websites. Scam artists use fake social media profiles, steal photos and identities from other social media accounts, and swindle victims out of thousands of dollars. Some perpetrators may claim to have a U.S. visa; oftentimes these are fake, even when images are provided. The perpetrators, once in a virtual relationship, typically ask for money for hospital expenses, travel expenses, visa costs, or expensive gifts. Do not travel to meet internet romantic partners or friends who have requested large sums of money; doing so may increase risk of kidnapping for ransom. In recent years, U.S. citizens have reported substantial financial losses from questionable transactions allegedly involving the purchase of gold and other precious metals. The Government of Ghana maintains strict regulations on the sale of these natural resources; all agents must be licensed and all transactions must be certified. For additional information on scams, see the Department of State's publication, International Financial Scams and the U.S. Embassy in Accra’s website. Other Areas of Concern Travelers should exercise increased caution in certain precincts of Accra and certain areas of Upper West, Upper East, Northern, Volta, Westner, Brong Ahafo, and Ashanti due to crime. Violent crime, such as armed robbery, is common in the following areas: Precincts of Accra: Avenor, Sowutuom, Sukura, Agbogbloshie, Ashaiman, Nima Upper West: Lawra and Wa Central Upper East: Bawku Northern: Bimbila, Bunkprugu, Tolon, Sagnarigu, and Yendi