Several successful young men in Ghana have their wealth rumored to stem from fraudulent activities. Here’s what we know about the most popular Ghanaian “scammers.”
In 2015, a BBC report indicated that there had been a drastic increase in cases of internet scamming. The publication claims that many young people are lured into cybercrime due to poverty and the pressure of witnessing friends succeed in the vice.
Ghana’s wealthiest con artists enjoy lavish lifestyles and brag about their fortunes on social media.
The practice, with the individuals involved collectively known as game boys, is defined as a young generation of school drop-outs in Ghana who dabble in identity theft and romance scams on social media. Their activities can be traced to the Yahoo boys or fraudsters in Nigeria.
The term Sakawa, on the other hand, refers to cyber fraud utilising traditional African black magic.
The bulk of the suspected fraud lads in Ghana, however, have somewhat denied charges that they engage in the practice, stating that their sources of riches are legitimate because some of them run businesses that bring in large sums of money. Keep reading for more about the rumored internet scammers in Ghana, how they’ve reacted so far, and what we (at Thedistin) know about their sources of wealth.
Top 10 Rumored Richest Yahoo Boys In Ghana
1. Nana Wan
Nana Wan, real name Nana Kwame Wiafe, is a Ghanaian businessman who is the CEO of the Waife Group and the president of 2Hype Music.
He was born on July 10, 1984, meaning he is 39 years of age.
According to Y FM Ghana, an alleged imposter went on the radio in 2016 claiming that Nana was a Sakawa boy and that he had sacrificed many people, including children. However, in a twist of events, the real Nana Wan responded, claiming that it wasn’t him who confessed. The businessman interacted with his fans live on Facebook, addressing the false allegations, and he even went further to advise and encourage them to work hard towards their dreams.
Despite the Sakawa rumor, Nana Wan is a serial entrepreneur. He is the founder and chairman of UniLife Group. The UniLife Group of Companies comprises UniLife Super Market (a mini shopping mall), LyfStyle Café Bar, and Wealth Records. Hence, it is safe to say that the millionaire affably called Mr. Wealth earns his money legitimately from various streams of income.
Nana Wan is also into real estate and owns other companies in Ghana.
In 2020, his UniLife company sponsored the debut Ghana Music Awards in Germany.
In 2024, Nana Kwame Wiafe had planned to run as an independent parliamentary candidate for the Asante Akim North constituency; however, his team has not disclosed any additional information regarding this new goal.
He drives several luxurious cars, including a Rolls Royce, Range Rover, 6×6 Mercedes Brabus, G-Wagon, and Mercedes Benz, just to mention a few.
He is a father of four and has a daughter named Heaven Mintx.
2. Jibril Baron Cash
Jibril Baron Cash is currently one of Ghana’s wealthiest young men. He is the CEO of JBC 1 Group of Companies Ltd., an Accra-based real estate firm.
Jibril was born in the Eastern Region of Ghana, specifically in a small town called Esuboi near Suhum.
Jibril lives a lavish lifestyle, and according to Ghpage, the entrepreneur is allegedly among Ghana’s Sakawa Boys.
In contrast to his accusations of fraud, the young millionaire is well-known for being a real estate developer who owns luxurious houses and apartments in Accra. He also has a few other enterprises and sources of income.
Aside from being into building, renting, and selling houses, Jibril is a farmer. He has arches of land where he cultivates numerous crops. Jibril is also into animal rearing. One of his large farms is at Adaklu Boso, Volta, Ghana.
He boasts of cars including Range Rover, Bentley, and Lamborghini. He owns several luxury cars and a mansion. Read more on Jibril.
3. Ibrah One
Ibrah One is among the young richest men in Ghana; however, his source of income has been questioned for years, Yen reports.
Years ago, skeptics discussed his wealth source after he was arrested in 2018 on fraud-related charges.
The businessman was detained on April 18, 2018, by Ghanaian police and Interpol officials about a money laundering case in the United States, according to Ghana Web.
He has for years remained silent about his source of revenue. However, one thing we know about his wealth is that he is a forex trader and a real estate developer.
Ibrah is currently living in Accra, Ghana, and owns several flashy automobiles and houses.
4. Joey Gucci
Joey Gucci (Joey McLaren) is a Ghanaian businessman and rich kid believed by many to be in the scamming business.
But in 2016, Joey was arrested in East Legon on fraud-related charges. According to Ghana Celebrities, the entrepreneur was arrested on alleged fraud charges and was visited by fellow ‘game boys’ while in jail.
Like many other alleged scammers, Joey seems to have a legitimate business. He is an entrepreneur. According to LinkedIn, he is the CEO of Silhouette Advertising Ltd., an advertising agency.
In addition, he also owns real estate, luxury automobiles, and properties all across Ghana.
5. Criss Waddle
Criss Waddle is a Ghanaian businessman and hip-hop recording artist.
His real name is Kweku Addai. The musician is 29 years old as of 2023. He was born on February 24, 1994, and his zodiac sign is Pisces.
He is a record label owner and the CEO and founder of the AMG (Arab Money Gang) Business. The label has produced some of Ghana’s top names, like Medikal.
Criss Waddle was a neighborhood plumber before he became wealthy and well-known. He then supposedly traveled abroad and secured contracts to work there.
He later joined the R2Bees music group and made waves in the industry. The young artist quit the group to form his own company, AMG Business Record Label. That move led to hits like Bie Gya and Ayi, among others.
Currently, Criss is among the wealthiest influencers under 30 in Ghana. As a result, critics have questioned his source of wealth.
In addition, he has been accused of being a scammer by his former associate and friend Showboy but he has denied the accusations.
The musician and entrepreneur has shifted his focus on social media from music to real estate. He is the CEO of Waddle Estate, a company that sells land, creates ultramodern architectural drawings, and builds both residential and commercial buildings.
6. Nhyiraba Kojo
Hip-life musician Rashid Joseph, popularly known as Nhyiraba Kojo, is one of the well-known musicians accused of participating in Sakawa.
He is half-Nigerian and half-Ghanaian.
According to Adom Online, Nhyiraba Kojo had his contribution rejected by fellow veteran Ghanaian rapper EX-Doe. EX-Doe explained that he could not accept ‘Sakawa’ money. However, in response to the allegation, Nhyiraba dismissed the accusation, saying that he practiced legal business.
7. Medikal
Medikal, also known as Samuel Adu Frimpong, is a Ghanaian hip-hop musician and entertainer. He was born in Sowutuom, Accra, on April 5, 1994.
Medikal earned his alias because he enjoyed rapping about doctors, surgeons, medical practitioners, and hospitals in general.
Even though he has a reputable career as a musician, his involvement with AMG Business owner Criss Waddle has raised suspicion about his source of wealth.
According to Ghgossip, Showboy, a former member of AMG, revealed that Medikal funded his career through Sakawa money.
8. Pope Skinny
Pope Skinny is a hip-life rapper and influencer from Ghana currently living in the United States.
He is one of the alleged scammers in Ghana.
In 2007, he released Y3kor Browse, a song about the scamming trade. According to Peace FM Online, the star revealed that he used to withdraw huge amounts of money from Western Union but claimed that the funds were from his mom and pen pals, not from scamming people.
9. Kevin Fianko
Kevin is a wealthy Ghanaian influencer and entrepreneur who resides in the United States. He is a member of the AMG outfit and has been mentioned as among the top Sakawa members in Ghana.
According to Gossips24, former AMG member Showboy mentioned Kevin as one of Ghana’s top scammers.
10. Mawuli Young-god
Mawuli Younggod, born Kayso Kelvin Mawuli, is a Ghanaian musician and influencer. He has been active in the music field for a long time and has remained consistent over the years. Mawuli is best known for featuring fellow AMG artists Medikal, FlyBoy, and Kelvyn Boy in songs glorifying get-rich schemes and women.
Despite not being a big name internationally, the star still manages to live a high life, raising suspicion about his source of wealth. In addition, according to Vim Buzz, the star was arrested recently on fraud-related allegations.