BY Issah Olegor
A young teacher’s dream of securing a job abroad has ended in frustration after he fell victim to an alleged visa fraud orchestrated by a man who presented himself as a travel agent.
The suspect, identified as Elvis Kwawudza, reportedly collected GH₵18,000 from the teacher, Sadiq Ocrah, with the promise of securing him a Canadian visa for a driving job.
Instead, Elvis is said to have fled the country after taking money from Sadiq and several other unsuspecting victims.
The Modus Operandi
According to Sadiq, the suspect approached him with enticing “work-and-pay” travel opportunities, including job offers in Canada.
Trusting Elvis’ assurances, he opted for a driving job offer and promptly made full payment.
However, things took a strange turn after the payment. Sadiq recalled that Elvis repeatedly postponed his scheduled interview at the Canadian Embassy in Accra.
On one occasion, Elvis allegedly instructed him to spend three nights outside the embassy, claiming his name was on a special visa protocol list. The interview never came.
A Pattern of Fraud
The victim revealed that he later discovered Elvis had taken money from several other individuals using the same story — promising them Canadian visas through a supposed immigration channel.
Like him, these victims were strung along with excuses and shifting interview dates, until it became evident they had been defrauded.
Months went by, yet no visa materialized. When confronted, Elvis reportedly admitted his inability to process the documents and promised to refund the money.
He made an initial repayment of GH₵5,000 but failed to honor the rest of the commitment.
Police Involvement
Frustrated, Sadiq reported the matter to the police at SCC, Accra.
The suspect was invited to cooperate with investigators but never showed up. Efforts to reach him proved futile.
When contacted, Elvis’ mother confirmed that her son had traveled abroad without informing his victims, further compounding suspicions that he had deliberately absconded.
