A new CBS investigation has revealed a growing network of Ghanaian romance scammers targeting Americans of all ages and backgrounds, defrauding them of substantial sums of money.

In the early days of internet fraud, the infamous "Nigerian Prince" emails promised large commissions in exchange for financial assistance. While many have become aware of these scams, online fraud has become more sophisticated and harder-to-detect schemes.

A CBS News photographer went undercover to film inside a so-called “boiler room” in a rough neighborhood of Accra, Ghana's capital. 

There, they met a young man named Abdullah. He works for a syndicate boss who supplies him and others with laptops, phones, internet access, and reliable electricity to carry out their schemes. Abdullah disclosed that his boss takes 60% of the profits, leaving him with 40%. Notably, his family remains unaware of his illicit activities.

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Individuals like Abdullah reportedly spend long nights scouring online dating sites, specifically targeting lonely, older individuals whom they coldly refer to as “clients.” While anyone can become a target, Abdullah indicated that they primarily pursue American men, citing that they are generally easier to deceive. He noted that women typically take much longer to fall in love.

"If you chat like you are in Ghana, they know that Ghana and Nigeria have plenty of scams," Abdullah explained. He emphasized that his work requires considerable research about his home state: “You have to study; you have to know a lot about it. If you're, like, in California, we have to set our time and everything… California time.”

According to the Federal Trade Commission, investigators found that the amount of money flowing from American victims to fraud syndicates has exceeded $10 billion. Experts caution that this figure is likely an undercount.