A major international crackdown on romance fraud and money laundering operations linked to Ghana has resulted in at least 16 Ghanaians being jailed, arrested, indicted or facing extradition proceedings in the United States, according to American authorities.
The cases, being prosecuted in several U.S. federal courts, are part of what investigators describe as one of the largest coordinated operations targeting transnational cyber fraud networks operating between Ghana and the United States.
Prosecutors allege that members of the networks used fake online identities and fabricated romantic relationships on dating sites and social media platforms to deceive mainly elderly American victims into sending large sums of money.
Authorities say the schemes involved romance scams, wire fraud conspiracies and money laundering activities that generated millions of dollars.
The investigations have also strengthened collaboration between U.S. law enforcement agencies and Ghanaian institutions, including the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), the Ghana Police Service and the Cyber Security Authority.
Nine Already Sentenced
Out of the 16 individuals implicated, nine are already serving prison sentences in the United States after pleading guilty to offences including conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy.
In one of the major cases, Dwayne Asafo Adjei, 29, was sentenced to 71 months imprisonment and ordered to pay more than $372,000 in restitution.
Nancy Adom, 30, and Eric Aidoo, 46, also received 71-month prison sentences alongside restitution orders exceeding $1 million and $668,000 respectively.
Another defendant, Nader Wasif, 31, was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment after pleading guilty to obstruction of justice.
Major Convictions
In a separate Ohio-based case, Otuo Amponsah, 34, received a 108-month prison sentence and was ordered to pay approximately $3.32 million in restitution.
Portia Joe, 28, was sentenced to 51 months imprisonment, while Anna Amponsah, 35, received 108 months imprisonment with restitution estimated at $1.44 million.
Hannah Adom, 27, also received a 71-month prison sentence.
U.S. authorities say defendants connected to the interconnected fraud cases have collectively been sentenced to nearly 50 years imprisonment.
Meanwhile, another accused person, Abdoul Issaka Assimiou, has pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing.
Investigations into related cybercrime and online fraud activities remain ongoing as authorities intensify efforts to dismantle international scam networks targeting vulnerable victims.
