Ghanaian Twins and Hawaii Woman Plead Guilty in Romance Scam That Cost Victims $9m
Two 22-year-old brothers from Ghana and a 53-year-old American woman admitted taking part in an international network that defrauded elderly people through dating sites and social media.
By Noah Rao ·
Twin brothers from Ghana and a woman from Hawaii have pleaded guilty to belonging to an international criminal network that cheated people through dating websites and social media, according to the case details reported by BBC News.
The defendants are Jamal and Kamal Abubakari, both 22, and Amanda Joy Opoku-Boachie, 53. Each faces a maximum of 20 years in prison and will be sentenced next year.
Prosecutors say the group focused on elderly people in the United States and Europe. Members used invented identities to convince victims they were in a romantic relationship, then persuaded them to send large sums of money to bank accounts in Ghana.
Between July 2024 and April 2026, the victims lost a combined total of $9m (£6.7m). Many of them lived in Ohio, where the charges were filed, but others were spread across 24 other US states, as well as Germany and Austria.
As part of their plea agreements, the Abubakari brothers and Opoku-Boachie agreed to give up jewellery seized by investigators when they were arrested. The items include luxury watches, rings, chains and earrings.
The three defendants have used several names. Jamal Abubakari is also known as Jamal Abubakar and Arrangement, while Kamal Abubakari is also known as Kamal Abubakar and Lancaster. Opoku-Boachie has gone by Joy Opoku-Boachie, Amanda Joy Glum and Amanda Joy Kessei Bierman.
The guilty pleas come as US authorities have intensified their efforts against criminal networks in the US and West Africa that target elderly Americans. Earlier this month, FBI Director Kash Patel said hundreds of arrests had been made after a scam centre in Ghana was dismantled.
In June, a Ghanaian social media influencer known as Abu Trica, whose real name is Frederick Kumi, was extradited to the US to stand trial. He is accused of running a romance scam that defrauded elderly Americans of more than $8m (£5.9m).
Kumi allegedly approached victims through social media and online dating platforms and asked for money or valuables under false pretences, such as claiming to have urgent medical needs. His case is being prosecuted under the US Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution law, and he denies all the charges.
Source: BBC News
