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Two Ghanaian twin brothers and an American woman have pleaded guilty in the United States to conspiracy to commit wire fraud over a romance fraud scheme that court filings say caused losses of more than $9m.
According to the Ghana News Agency, citing court documents, Jamal Abubakari and Kamal Abubakari, both 22, entered their guilty pleas on 13 October 2026. Amanda Joy Opoku-Boachie, 53, of Kula, Hawaii, pleaded guilty to the same charge on 20 October 2026.
Prosecutors alleged that between July 2024 and April 2026 the defendants took part in a scheme that used fictitious online identities on dating websites and social media to build relationships, many of them portrayed as romantic, with mostly older people, who were then persuaded to send money to accounts controlled by the conspiracy.
Court documents say part of the money was sent on to co-conspirators in Ghana and elsewhere. Victims lived in 25 US states, as well as Germany and Austria.
Chale News reported that the twins are due to be sentenced on 9 February 2027 and Ms Opoku-Boachie on 10 February 2027. Wire fraud carries a maximum sentence of 20 years. As part of their plea agreements, the defendants agreed to forfeit jewellery seized at their arrests.
The FBI's Cleveland Division led the investigation. US prosecutors acknowledged help from Ghanaian institutions including the Attorney-General's Office, the Economic and Organised Crime Office, the Ghana Police Service and the Cyber Security Authority.
The three have not yet been sentenced. Any other alleged members of the network remain presumed innocent.