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Forgiveness-Seeking Behaviors Among Online Romance Fraudsters: Insights from Sakawa Actors in Ghana

Abubakari, Y. (2025) — International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology

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DOI: 10.1177/0306624x251322533 (opens in a new tab)

Type:   Journal Article
Country:   Poland
Tags:   AI-Enabled Fraud, Forgiveness Seeking, Ghana, Moral Disengagement, Qualitative Interviews, Religion, Romance Scams, Sakawa, Victim Experience, Victim Selection
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Synopsis

            
The study investigates forgiveness-seeking behaviors among online romance scammers operating in Ghana, concentrating on how Sakawa practitioners grapple with moral guilt. By applying Moral Disengagement Theory alongside Cultural Criminology perspectives, the analysis identifies three core areas of focus: what motivates offenders to seek forgiveness, the rituals that accompany such requests, and the way forgiveness intersects with the selection of victims. The research thus frames forgiveness as a social and moral signal embedded in the criminal activity, rather than as a straightforward pathway to remorse or cessation of wrongdoing. Findings show that Sakawa actors manipulate social interpretations of forgiveness to cope with perceived divine consequences associated with Sakawa while also using these narratives to influence victims. Forgiveness is portrayed and deployed as a tool to sustain manipulation rather than as an authentic move toward reconciliation or disengagement from online romance fraud. In this light, forgiveness operates as a strategic resource that facilitates continued criminal practice rather than marking a clear end to illicit behavior. The results suggest that, although forgiveness is frequently regarded as a social and moral virtue, an offender’s intent to seek forgiveness does not automatically signal a willingness to halt criminal activities. Moreover, the data indicate possible criminogenic dimensions embedded in forgiveness, challenging assumptions about its inherently virtuous nature. The study therefore prompts questions about how forgiveness narratives function within fraud contexts and highlights the need for further inquiry into their role in criminal enterprise, prevention, and policy development.

          

        
                  

            
Identified Gaps

            
The paper identifies a major gap in research on the moral dimensions of Sakawa, particularly offenders’ guilt, forgiveness-seeking, and whether forgiveness influences continued offending or desistance. It also notes that research on offender forgiveness has focused mainly on intimate relationships, offering limited insight into deceptive stranger relationships such as romance fraud.

          

        
                  

            
Methods

            
Qualitative study in Tamale, Ghana, of 12 active Sakawa actors aged 19–36, each with at least three years’ scamming experience. Participants were recruited through snowball sampling, leader endorsement, and methodological grooming. Informal face-to-face and telephone interviews, generally conducted over two or more sessions, were analyzed through deductive thematic analysis guided by forgiveness frameworks, Moral Disengagement Theory, and Cultural Criminology.

          

        
                  

            
Limitations

            
The study is based on a small, localized qualitative sample of 12 active offenders in Tamale, so findings reflect participants’ accounts and culturally specific interpretations rather than prevalence or generalizable causal relationships. Some interviews were unrecorded because consent was not provided, requiring note-taking and reflective writing; Dagbani material was translated into English during analysis.

          

        
                  

            
Future Work

            
Conduct further empirical research on the relationship between forgiveness and crime to develop a stronger theoretical framework linking the two. Research could test whether offender forgiveness-seeking predicts persistence, cessation, or desistance in romance fraud.

          

              

    
    

        
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