The US attorney's office in the northern district of Ohio announced on Monday that three people have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in a $9m romance scam that targeted more than 130 victims, mostly elderly Americans, across 25 states and in Germany and Austria.
The three defendants are Jamal Abubakari and Kamal Abubakari, 22-year-old twin brothers from Ghana, and Amanda Joy Opoku-Boachie, 53, of Kula, Hawaii. According to the justice department, from July 2024 to April 2026 they targeted older Americans on dating websites and social media platforms, conspiring with others to “fake personas to establish close, personal relationships with the victims which were often romantic in nature”. The department said the trio at times used “artificial intelligence-driven video platforms to engage victims under fictitious female personas”.
Misled by false stories, victims wired money to bank accounts controlled by the conspiracy, with portions distributed to co-conspirators in Ghana and elsewhere. The trio said they needed the money for medical emergencies, investment opportunities or travel fees to visit the victims, according to court documents.
“Victims report that they are left with absolutely nothing to sustain their lives going forward after a lifetime of work and saving. In addition, individual victims are ashamed and deprived of the trust they once had in their fellow human beings,” prosecutors said.
As part of their plea agreement, the three agreed to forfeit jewelry seized at their arrests, including luxury timepieces, high-end watches, rings, chains, medallions and earrings. They face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for 9 February 2027 for the brothers and 10 February 2027 for Opoku-Boachie.
Other co-conspirators are awaiting extradition from Ghana, where seized assets estimated to be worth more than $3m include a Lamborghini, a Tesla Cybertruck, a Mercedes-Benz and a BMW.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The case shows romance fraud moving beyond text messages to AI-driven video platforms, making fake personas harder to spot.
- More than 130 victims, many of them elderly, lost over $9m, a scale that indicates how financially devastating these schemes can be.
- The investigation crosses several countries, with victims in the US, Germany and Austria and co-conspirators in Ghana, pointing to the international scope of online fraud.
Background
Romance fraud is a well-known form of online crime in which scammers build fake romantic relationships to gain trust and then ask for money, often for invented emergencies. In recent years, authorities and consumer groups have warned that artificial intelligence tools are making such scams more convincing and harder to detect. This case reflects that trend, with prosecutors describing the use of AI-driven video platforms alongside traditional dating-site approaches.
What to Watch
- Sentencing for the Abubakari brothers on 9 February 2027 and for Opoku-Boachie on 10 February 2027, when the court will decide the length of their prison terms.
- Extradition proceedings for the remaining co-conspirators in Ghana.
- Whether further assets are identified and forfeited, after more than $3m in property, including luxury cars, was already seized in Ghana.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 9 supported.
Show each claim
- Not in the sourcesThe opening says the victims were mostly elderly Americans.World news | The Guardian: “the trio targeted more than 130 victims in 25 states, as well as in Germany and Austria”
- Partly supportedThe defendants said they needed the money for medical emergencies, investment opportunities or travel fees.World news | The Guardian: “the trio said they allegedly needed the money for medical emergencies, investment opportunities or travel fees to visit the victims”
- Partly supportedAssets seized in Ghana were estimated to be worth more than $3m.World news | The Guardian: “Other co-conspirators are awaiting extradition from Ghana where seized assets estimated to be worth more than $3m include a Lamborghini, a Tesla Cybertruck, a Mercedes-Benz and a BMW, the justice department said.”
- SupportedThree people pleaded guilty in a $9m romance fraud targeting elderly Americans.World news | The Guardian: “Three people have pleaded guilty in a $9m romance fraud scam that targeted elderly Americans.”
- SupportedTwin brothers from Ghana and a Hawaii woman face up to 20 years in prison.World news | The Guardian: “the US attorney’s office in the northern district of Ohio announced that twin brothers from Ghana and an American woman pleaded guilty”
- SupportedThe US attorney’s office in the northern district of Ohio announced on Monday that three people pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.World news | The Guardian: “On Monday, the US attorney’s office in the northern district of Ohio announced that twin brothers from Ghana and an American woman pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.”
- SupportedThe fraud targeted more than 130 victims across 25 states and in Germany and Austria.World news | The Guardian: “the trio targeted more than 130 victims in 25 states, as well as in Germany and Austria.”
- SupportedThe defendants are Jamal Abubakari and Kamal Abubakari, 22-year-old twins, and Amanda Joy Opoku-Boachie, 53, of Kula, Hawaii.World news | The Guardian: “Identified as Jamal Abubakari, Kamal Abubakari, both 22, and Amanda Joy Opoku-Boachie, 53, of Kula, Hawaii”
- SupportedThe defendants targeted older Americans on dating websites and social media from July 2024 to April 2026.World news | The Guardian: “The Abubakaris and Opoku-Boachie targeted older Americans on dating websites and social media platforms from July 2024 to April 2026”
- SupportedThe justice department said the defendants used “fake personas to establish close, personal relationships with the victims which were often romantic in nature”.World news | The Guardian: ““fake personas to establish close, personal relationships with the victims which were often romantic in nature”, according to the justice department.”
- SupportedThe justice department said the defendants at times used “artificial intelligence-driven video platforms to engage victims under fictitious female personas”.World news | The Guardian: “The trio at times used “artificial intelligence-driven video platforms to engage victims under fictitious female personas”, the justice department said.”
- SupportedProsecutors said victims were left with nothing to sustain their lives and were ashamed and deprived of trust in others.World news | The Guardian: ““Victims report that they are left with absolutely nothing to sustain their lives going forward after a lifetime of work and saving. In addition, individual victims are ashamed and deprived of the trust they once had in their fellow human beings,” prosecutors said in the documents.”