Executive Chairman of JL Holdings, Dr James Orleans‑Lindsay
Executive Chairman of JL Holdings, Dr James Orleans‑Lindsay, has recounted a devastating experience that cost him $1.3 million in a fraudulent land deal a decade ago.
In an interview with Bola Ray on GHOne TV, Dr Orleans‑Lindsay shared how he was lured into what appeared to be a prime real estate acquisition in Accra in 2014.
Despite conducting extensive due diligence, including working with a reputable agent and verifying land titles, the seasoned businessman later discovered that the land he thought he had purchased belonged to someone else entirely.
“I did everything. I went through an agent, a realtor, a solid guy. The guy was a known person and all that. Not knowing the scammer had cloned the land title,” he said.
“When I did a search on the land title, it all came out as if everything was correct. He [the scammer] had done passports in the names of his brothers, his siblings, and all that. He had driving licenses and double IDs for every person. It was well crafted. I never suspected a thing. I only found out when I went onto the land,” he recounted.
He added, “I was so shocked that this thing would happen to me.”
Rather than shifting the financial burden to his company, Dr Orleans‑Lindsay chose to personally bear the cost and has since been repaying the amount through monthly deductions from his own salary.
“Up to today, I’m still paying because I didn’t want to pay from my company’s funds,” he explained.
Ironically, Dr Orleans‑Lindsay is regarded as an authority on Accra’s land history, which made his experience even more sobering.
“I pride myself among the people who would be called if you wanted five or ten people to talk about the history of land in Accra. So I fell on a sword that I shouldn’t have,” he admitted.
Though the emotional and financial toll has been significant, he believes sharing his story can serve as a valuable cautionary tale.
“Every time I tell people; when it’s too good to be true, then it’s not true,” he said.
Watch the video below:
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