The United States government has, over the past few years, cracked down on groups and individuals who have been scamming millions of dollars from its citizens.
Unfortunately, several Ghanaians have been caught engaging in these fraudulent acts. Since 2021, US authorities have arrested and prosecuted more than 20 Ghanaians for engaging in all forms of fraudulent activities, including wire fraud, romance scams, and money laundering.
In February 2021, for instance, investigative authorities in the United States announced the arrest of six Ghanaians suspected of being part of a notorious ‘sakawa’ gang, The Enterprise, across some states in the USA at different times. The members of the gang who were arrested included Farouk Appiedu, Fred Asante, Celvin Freeman, Lord Aning, Sadick Edusei Kissi, and Faisal Ali.
The investigation by US security authorities into the crimes of the arrested Ghanaians found that the proceeds of these fraudsters are often laundered to Ghana and other West African countries.
The investigations have often found collaborators of the Ghanaians arrested in the US who are even the masterminds of the criminal organisation.
The US government, as such, has worked with the Government of Ghana to arrest and extradite a number of Ghanaians who are part of these criminal gangs.
Here are some Ghanaian personalities who have been extradited to the US for engaging in fraudulent activities.
Hajia4Reall:
Ghanaian social media influencer, Mona Faiz Montrage, also known as Hajia4Reall, was extradited from the United Kingdom to the US for allegedly swindling over $2 million from older, single American men and women in a romance scam in May 2023.
After pleading not guilty to the charges, she was set to be released in the coming days on a $500,000 bond with GPS tracking via an ankle monitor.
She later pleaded guilty to conspiracy to receive stolen money, a charge which was connected to a group that ran online romance scams and internet fraud schemes targeting older and vulnerable Americans.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, Hajia4Reall was part of The Enterprise.
She was arrested in the United Kingdom and extradited to the United States in May 2023.
She pleaded guilty in February 2024 and was sentenced on June 28, 2024, by US District Judge J. Paul Oetken.
In addition to serving one year and one day in prison, she was also sentenced to three years of supervised release, ordered to forfeit $216,475, and pay $1,387,458 in restitution.
She was released from prison and deported to Ghana on May 22, 2025.
The inside details: Hajia4Reall’s jail term, deportation plan after serving time
Abiola Kayode:
Abiola Kayode, a Nigerian national resident in Ghana, was arrested by Ghanaian authorities in April 2023 and eventually extradited to the US.
According to details on justice.gov, Abiola Kayode, 37, was extradited to the District of Nebraska on a conspiracy to commit wire fraud indictment filed in August 2019 in Omaha, Nebraska.
The report said that Ghanaian authorities ultimately granted this request and surrendered Kayode to FBI special agents, who brought him to the District of Nebraska.
“Kayode had an initial appearance on the indictment on December 11, 2024. United States Magistrate Judge Michael D. Nelson ordered Kayode to remain detained pending trial.
“Kayode, who was on the FBI’s Most Wanted Cyber Criminal List, is alleged to have participated in a business email compromise (BEC) scheme from January 2015 to September 2016. The BEC scheme defrauded businesses in the District of Nebraska and elsewhere of more than $6 million,” the report stated in part.
Dada Joe Remix:
Ghanaian businessman Joseph Badu Boateng, popularly known as Dada Joe Remix, was extradited to the United States for his alleged involvement in a romance fraud scheme estimated at over $100 million in July 2025.
Dada Joe Remix was accused of orchestrating a sophisticated fraud ring that exploited victims, primarily U.S. citizens, through romance and inheritance scams.
According to U.S. prosecutors, he and his network used fake online profiles, often posing as potential romantic partners, to manipulate victims into sending large sums of money under false pretences, including fabricated inheritance claims and financial emergencies.
After months of investigations and cross-border coordination, Ghanaian authorities arrested Boateng and others and then facilitated his extradition to the United States, where he is now facing trial.
Kofi Boat, Pascal and Van
Kofi Boat and Pascal
Isaac Oduro Boateng (Kofi Boat), Insuah Ahmed (Pascal), and Derrick Van Yeboah (Van) are the latest Ghanaians to be extradited to the United States on allegations of fraud.
According to the FBI and the United States Department of Justice, the three men and one other suspect who is at large, Patrick Kwame Asare (Borgar), are leading members of The Enterprise and are responsible for orchestrating a large-scale international fraud scheme that defrauded victims of more than $100 million.
According to the FBI, the trio allegedly belonged to a transnational criminal organisation engaged in romance scams and business email compromise (BEC) operations.
“These actors were allegedly part of an international criminal organisation that conducted romance scams and business email compromises, stealing over $100 million from dozens of victims,” the FBI stated in an official post on Thursday, August 8, 2025.
The alleged scheme involved tricking victims, both individuals and businesses, into sending large sums of money under false pretences.
Kofi Boat, two others extradited to US over $100 million fraud allegations
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Meanwhile, watch the trailer to GhanaWeb’s yet-to-air documentary on teenage girls and how fish is stealing their futures below:
