GHANAIAN TWINS AND US WOMAN PLEAD GUILTY TO FRAUD CONSPIRACY

The US attorney’s office for the Northern District of Ohio said twin brothers from Ghana and a woman from Hawaii had pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Jamal and Kamal Abubakari and Amanda Joy Opoku-Boachie used dating sites and social media to target older people, according to the US justice department. Officials said the scheme reached more than 130 people in 25 US states, Germany and Austria. The victims lost about $9m between July 2024 and April 2026, according to the accounts released by US authorities.

The justice department said the group and its associates used “fake personas to establish close, personal relationships with the victims which were often romantic in nature”. It said they sometimes used artificial intelligence video platforms to appear under fictitious female identities. Court documents described requests for money to cover supposed medical emergencies, investments and travel to visit victims. Victims then transferred money to accounts controlled by members of the group, with some funds going to associates in Ghana and elsewhere, according to the department.

The three defendants agreed to forfeit jewellery seized during their arrests, including watches, rings, chains and earrings. Each faces up to 20 years in prison. The Abubakari brothers are due to be sentenced on 9 February 2027, and Opoku-Boachie on 10 February, according to the US attorney’s office. Other alleged participants await extradition from Ghana, where authorities have seized assets they value at more than $3m.