Awo, a Ghanaian based in the United States, shared her story on SVTV Africa’s Daily Hustle Worldwide show with DJ Nyaami.
According to Awo, she lost $20,000 after following a friend’s advice to invest in what turned out to be a fake stock market scheme.
“My friend called and told me to invest in the stock market,” she said. “I started with $2,000 around 2020 and kept buying because she told me to continue. For five years, I kept adding money, hoping for profits, but I never got anything back. In total, I’ve lost about $20,000.”
She explained that the experience has been painful, especially considering how hard she has worked in the U.S.
“You struggle so much here, and when someone says they’re helping you make more money, you trust them. But many people have fallen victim to such scams. They tell you the stock has crashed or gone bankrupt, and your money just disappears. It has destroyed marriages and families.”
Awo revealed that she invested part of her family’s savings without earning any returns.
“I wasn’t working at the time, so I thought investing would help my husband and me. I put in $4,000, thinking my friend was helping me like a fellow mother. I wanted to support my home, but I ended up losing everything. My husband warned me that he doesn’t invest in things he doesn’t understand.”
She said at one point, her investment reached $4,000 in profit, but when she wanted to withdraw, her friend told her to wait — and she eventually lost it all.
“My friend misled me into something she didn’t fully understand herself, and I paid the price.”
Awo also reflected on life in America, saying that although there are opportunities, happiness can be hard to find.
“In America, they don’t care about your well-being — only that you show up for work. I’ve lived here for 14 years, but sometimes I just want to return to Ghana. When I got sick and stayed home, nobody cared. The system only values your labor.”
She added that during a power outage that lasted four days, she realized how resilient Ghanaians are.
“Back home, you can survive without electricity or water. Here, when the power goes off, everything stops.”
Despite her desire to move back to Ghana, Awo’s husband prefers staying in the U.S.
“He doesn’t believe in going back. We’ve moved from Virginia to Texas, but even here, it’s not easy — there are hurricanes, and everyone owns a gun. It’s scary.”
Awo concluded with advice to Ghanaians abroad and those at home:
“If you have a good job in Ghana, stay and build your life there. You can always visit abroad for a while, but don’t be deceived — life here is not as easy as it looks.
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