Twin brothers Jamal and Kamal Abubakari, both 22 years old, from Ghana and Amanda Joy Opoku-Boachie, 53, from Hawaii have entered guilty pleas in connection with a coordinated international fraud scheme. The operation involved creating fake identities on dating platforms and social media to establish romantic relationships with unsuspecting victims, predominantly elderly individuals in the United States and Europe.
Investigators determined that the defendants systematically targeted vulnerable individuals and persuaded them to transfer substantial sums of money into bank accounts located in Ghana. Over the period spanning July 2024 through April 2026, the criminal network caused combined losses of $9 million across numerous victims. While many of those defrauded were located in Ohio, where charges were filed, the investigation identified victims across 24 additional US states, as well as in Germany and Austria.
As a condition of their guilty pleas, the three defendants agreed to forfeit luxury items seized during their arrests, including high-end watches, jewelry, chains and rings. The Abubakaris and Opoku-Boachie face potential sentences of up to 20 years in prison and are scheduled for sentencing later in the coming year. The individuals have operated under multiple aliases in connection with their activities.
The case reflects intensified enforcement efforts by US law enforcement agencies targeting transnational fraud operations. Earlier this month, FBI Director Kash Patel announced hundreds of arrests resulting from the dismantling of a scam operation based in Ghana. In a related development, a Ghanaian social media personality identified as Frederick Kumi, known online as Abu Trica, was extradited to the United States in June to face charges for operating a separate romance fraud scheme that defrauded elderly Americans of more than $8 million. Kumi has denied the allegations against him.
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