A Ghanaian national has been sentenced to 85 months in prison in the United States for his role in an international romance scam and business email compromise network that defrauded victims of more than $100 million.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York announced that Derrick Van Yeboah, also known as “Van,” was sentenced after pleading guilty in March 2026 to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
According to U.S. prosecutors, Van Yeboah was part of a Ghana-based criminal organisation that targeted vulnerable victims across the United States through online romance scams and business email compromise schemes.
Authorities said members of the syndicate created fake online identities, built trust with victims through fraudulent romantic relationships, and persuaded them to send money or help launder funds obtained from other victims. The group also deceived businesses into transferring money through compromised email accounts.
The U.S. Department of Justice said the conspiracy stole and laundered more than $100 million from dozens of victims, with the proceeds eventually transferred to West Africa.
Prosecutors said Van Yeboah personally carried out several romance scams using fake identities. Between 2019 and 2020, he allegedly convinced two women from Ohio and Delaware to transfer about $4.2 million to accounts controlled by members of the syndicate.
In another case in 2024, he reportedly defrauded a man from North Carolina of approximately $123,000 after falsely claiming he needed money for a parent’s funeral and to recover gold and diamonds from Italy.
The court held Van Yeboah responsible for stealing more than $10.1 million through his romance scam activities.
In addition to the prison sentence, he was ordered to serve two years of supervised release and forfeit $10,149,429.17.
U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said romance scammers “weaponize trust” by exploiting victims’ loneliness and legitimate relationships for financial gain.
The Justice Department credited the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Ghanaian authorities, including the Office of the Attorney-General, the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), the Ghana Police Service-INTERPOL, the Cyber Security Authority (CSA), and the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB), for their cooperation in securing Van Yeboah’s extradition to the United States in August 2025.
