Two Ghanaian brothers and a U.S.-based woman have been indicted in the United States over their alleged involvement in an international romance fraud and money laundering scheme that reportedly targeted elderly Americans through dating sites and social media platforms.
According to a statement by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio, the accused, Jamal Abubakari, also known as “Arrangement,” Kamal Abubakari, also known as “Lancaster,” both aged 22, and 53-year-old Amanda Joy Opoku-Boachie — were arrested in Virginia and remain in custody pending further court proceedings.
Prosecutors allege that between July 2024 and April 2026, the trio conspired with others to defraud older Americans by creating fake online personas and establishing romantic relationships with victims before convincing them to send money.
“After being misled by false stories, the victims sent money via wire transfer to financial accounts controlled by conspiracy members,” the indictment stated.
The statement further noted that portions of the funds were allegedly transferred to “co-conspirators in Ghana and elsewhere.”
The case forms part of what U.S. authorities describe as a broader crackdown on transnational romance fraud networks linked to Ghana and operating across the United States.
The Department of Justice revealed that several related prosecutions have already resulted in convictions and lengthy prison sentences.
In one of the cases cited, Ghanaian nationals Frederick Kumi of Swedru and Daniel Yussif of Accra were charged in December 2025 with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy.
The statement also named multiple individuals who have already been convicted and sentenced in related fraud schemes, including Ghanaian citizen Dwayne Asafo Adjei, who received a 71-month prison sentence and was ordered to pay more than $372,000 in restitution.
Another defendant, Otuo Amponsah of Columbus, Ohio, was sentenced to 108 months in prison and ordered to pay more than $3.3 million in restitution.
The investigation was led by the FBI Cleveland Division with support from several Ghanaian institutions, including the Attorney General’s Office, the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), the Ghana Police Service, the Cyber Security Authority, and the Financial Intelligence Centre.
U.S. Attorney David M. Toepfer acknowledged the assistance of both Ghanaian and American law enforcement agencies in the investigation.
The Justice Department stressed that the indictment remains an allegation and that “all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.”
The prosecution, according to the statement, is being pursued under the Elder Justice Initiative Programme, which seeks to combat financial fraud and scams targeting elderly people in the United States.
