Ghanaian twin brothers and US woman plead guilty to $9m romance scam

Twin brothers from Ghana and an American woman have pleaded guilty to charges of being part of an international criminal network which defrauded people they met on dating sites and social media.

The group targeted elderly people in the US and Europe, using fake identities to lure their victims into believing they were in a romantic relationship, before persuading them to transfer large sums of money into bank accounts in Ghana.

The 22-year-old twins, Jamal and Kamal Abubakari, and 53-year-old Amanda Joy Opoku-Boachie from Hawaii face up to 20 years in jail and will be sentenced next year.

During the period of July 2024 to April 2026, the victims collectively lost $9m (£6.7m).

While many of the victims were from Ohio - where the charges were brought - people were also located in 24 other US states, Germany and Austria.

As part of the plea, the Abubakaris and Opoku-Boachie agreed to forfeit pieces of jewellery which investigators seized at the time of their arrest, including luxury watches, rings, chains and earrings.

The individuals go by several names:

In recent months the US authorities have stepped up their crackdown on criminal networks operating in the US and West Africa which seek to defraud elderly Americans.

Kaynak: BBC News World RSS (Açık Basın / Haber Servisi)