Accra: Two Ghanaian twin brothers and an American woman have pleaded guilty to participating in an international romance scam that defrauded victims across the United States and Europe of approximately $9 million between July 2024 and April 2026.
The accused, 22-year-old Jamal Abubakari and Kamal Abubakari, along with 53-year-old Amanda Joy Opoku-Boachie of Hawaii, used fake identities on dating platforms and social media to establish romantic relationships with victims, particularly elderly individuals. They subsequently persuaded them to transfer money into bank accounts in Ghana, according to US authorities.
The charges were brought in Ohio, where several victims were based. Investigators identified victims across 24 other US states, as well as Germany and Austria. The financial losses amounted to around £6.7 million, according to the reported figures.
The three defendants operated under multiple aliases. Jamal was also known as Jamal Abubakar and Arrangement, while Kamal used the names Kamal Abubakar and Lancaster. Opoku-Boachie also went by Amanda Joy Glum and Amanda Joy Kessei Bierman.
As part of their plea agreements, the defendants agreed to surrender jewellery seized during their arrests, including luxury watches, rings, chains and earrings. They face maximum sentences of 20 years in prison and are scheduled to be sentenced next year.
The case comes amid an intensified US crackdown on criminal networks operating across West Africa and the United States. Earlier this month, FBI Director Kash Patel said authorities had made hundreds of arrests following the dismantling of a scam centre in Ghana.
In a separate case, Ghanaian social media influencer Frederick Kumi, known as Abu Trica, was extradited to the US in June over allegations that he operated a romance scam targeting elderly Americans and causing losses exceeding $8 million. Kumi has denied the charges.
