The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Lottery Authority (NLA), Sammi Awuku, has disclosed how he fell victim for a scam where a man faked his wife’s death to extort money for her funeral.
Sammi Awuku in an interview on Accra Based Peace FM narrated how the culprit approached him with an obituary claiming to be that of his wife and requested for financial assistance for her burial.
Although unsatisfied with the request and demanding further evidence, the Akuapem North NPP parliamentary candidate admitted he fell for the scam and contributed money towards what he believed to be a genuine cause.
He further explained that he only discovered the ruse months after during a conversation with the culprit’s friend.
“About a month later, I met him and asked why he was no longer in black, just a short period after his wife’s burial. He was with someone, and the person asked him when his wife passed, but he responded he doesn’t have to tell him everything,” Awuku recounted on Accra-based Peace FM.
The NLA boss urged the public particularly influential persons to be cautious against such requests because they are usually the target.
The incident brings to bare the vulnerability that public figures are exposed to when approached with financial assistance of such nature.
Sammi Awuku’s revelation underscores the challenges politicians face in an attempt to discern between genuine pleas for help and scams.