US federal prosecutors have indicted two Ghanaian brothers and a woman based in the United States over an alleged romance fraud and money laundering scheme said to have targeted elderly Americans through online dating platforms and social media.
According to an official statement by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the suspects, Jamal Abubakari, also known as “Arrangement”, Kamal Abubakari, also known as “Lancaster”, both aged 22, and 53-year-old Amanda Joy Opoku-Boachie, were arrested in Virginia and remain in custody pending court proceedings. Investigators allege the group operated between July 2024 and April 2026, using fake online identities to build romantic relationships with victims before persuading them to transfer money.
Authorities say the fraud proceeds were moved through financial accounts linked to members of the alleged conspiracy, with portions reportedly sent to associates in Ghana and other locations. The case, filed as United States v. Jamal Abubakari et al., is part of a wider US crackdown on romance fraud and cyber-enabled financial crimes connected to transnational criminal networks operating between the United States and Ghana.
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Prosecutors also disclosed that several related cases involving Ghanaian suspects accused of targeting elderly victims have now been assigned to a single US District Judge. According to authorities, at least nine defendants connected to the broader investigations have already pleaded guilty and received combined prison sentences totalling about 50 years, while others are awaiting trial or sentencing.
Two brothers from Ghana and a woman from the U.S. have been indicted for allegedly being a part of a criminal network that devised romance fraud schemes to obtain money from victims by mostly targeting the elderly in the United States.
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— U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Ohio (@NDOHnews) May 14, 2026
