Crime

The Ghanaian Who Duped Over 300 Americans of $250 Million

Published by Olatunji Yusuf on July 9th, 2025.

The Ghanaian Who Duped Over 300 Americans of $250 Million

John Ackay Blay-Miezah was no ordinary conman. This Ghanaian man pulled off one of the boldest scams in modern history, fooling more than 300 Americans and making off with a staggering $250 million between the 1960s and 1980s.

His story was simple but convincing: he told investors he had access to a $27 billion bond, but needed money to “unlock” it. Many bought into the lie, thinking they’d get huge returns. They got nothing.

In 1975, Blay-Miezah was arrested in Ghana over undeclared foreign currency. But he didn’t stay behind bars for long. He talked his way out of it, convincing people in power—under General Acheampong’s military government—that he had $47 billion sitting in a Swiss bank. Instead of jail time, he walked away with a diplomatic passport and left for Europe.

His charm, fake credentials, and bold lies opened doors that should have stayed shut. By the time his scam ran its course, hundreds had been duped, millions had vanished, and Blay-Miezah had become a legend in the world of fraud.

A 2025 report in The Conversation noted that scammers like Blay-Miezah often see their actions as a kind of payback for colonial exploitation. In that light, Blay-Miezah’s actions weren’t just about greed—they were also about flipping the script on former colonial powers. Whether that justifies anything is up for debate, but it might explain how he got away with it for so long—and why some still see him as more than just a crook.