Auntie Ama’s fingers trembled over the glowing screen. Sweat beaded on her forehead like a farmer’s brow at noon. “3bey3 de3n na wei ngye me sika…” she muttered. “Why won’t it just take my money?”
Across the room, her 17-year-old grandson, Kwame, sighed. Grandma, you’re clicking ‘Send Money’ not ‘Request’! Scammers will clean your account!. He grabbed the phone, rescuing her from a Gh₵1640 savings.
Auntie Ama isn’t alone. Across Ghana, grandparents who trusted cocoa-season profits to susu boxes, cloty-wrapped cedis, or hole-in-the-wall bankers now face a new enemy: Mobile Money.
The Digital Trap:
Ghost Withdrawals: Like Paa Yaw, 68, who lost Gh₵500 after a “network agent” asked for his PIN “to fix errors.”
Scammers pose as “MTN staff” threatening disconnected lines unless fees are paid.
Sending instead of receiving, paying wrong numbers, and frozen wallets.
Fake Promos: “You won ₵5,000! Send ₵100 to claim.”
The “Blessing” Scam Pastor: “Seed ₵200 via MoMo for miracle!
Kwame’s lessons covered;
Spotting fake fraud alerts.
Using USSD codes without panic.
Setting transaction limits.
Verifying account names first.
Urgent requests from unknown numbers: Use a family/ friendship code word.
He’s part of a Gen Z wave: tech-savvy teens turning grandma’s kitchen into a “fintech bootcamp.
Why This “Sankofa Savings Crisis” matters: “Money isn’t metal or paper anymore,” says Auntie Ama. “ Sika ye mframa.” It’s air. How do I hold air?”
But there’s hope:
Your PIN = your cash. Never share it.
After some lessons, Auntie Ama now pays bills solo. “Kwame addresses her as ‘Auntie MoMo’ now!” she grins.
“My susu box never asked for a PIN!”
Paa Kofi, 64, Accra, now learning fraud alerts from his granddaughter.
“We moved money from under mattresses to clouds. Now Ghana’s elders need umbrellas – and Gen Z is holding them.
BE A MoMo HERO! Teach an elder today
Story by: E.A-B Kelzi
This is very nice and educating, I remember helping my mum out every time she needs to do a transaction which is either by sending money to someone or buying an airtime or even bundle. Truth be told, we really need to educate them!! However way we can
Lovely story to be told