Two Ghanaian twin brothers and a US-based Ghanaian woman have been indicted for allegedly operating a transnational romance fraud network that targeted elderly victims through online scams and financial deception.

The suspects have been identified as 22-year-old Ghanaian twins, Jamal Abubakari and Kamal Abubakari, as well as 53-year-old Amanda Joy Opoku-Boachie.

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According to unsealed documents released on May 14, 2026, by the US Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio in the case titled United States v Jamal Abubakari et al, the accused persons were allegedly part of a criminal network that operated romance fraud schemes targeting mostly elderly victims in the United States.

The suspects allegedly used online deception to obtain money from victims and are facing charges including conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering.

“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.

“An indictment was recently unsealed in United States v. Jamal Abubakari, et al., charging the following three individuals with Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Money Laundering,” portions of the statement read.

The statement added that all three persons were arrested in Virginia and remain in custody pending further court proceedings.

The US Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio alleged that the suspects operated the scheme between July 2024 and April 2026 by creating fake profiles on dating websites and social media platforms to lure mostly elderly victims in the United States into online romantic relationships.

Investigators said the victims were manipulated with false stories and emotional appeals before being convinced to transfer money to bank accounts allegedly linked to the fraud network.

Authorities further claimed that some of the money obtained from the victims was transferred to accomplices based in Ghana and other countries.

“According to allegations in the indictment, from about July 2024 to April 2026, the defendants targeted older Americans on dating websites and social media platforms to engage in romance fraud schemes.

“The defendants conspired with others to use fake personas to establish close personal relationships with the victims which were often romantic in nature. After being misled by false stories, the victims sent money via wire transfer to financial accounts controlled by conspiracy members. Portions of the funds were further provided to co-conspirators in Ghana and elsewhere,” it added.

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The US authorities stated that the investigation leading to the indictments was spearheaded by the FBI Cleveland Division.

They added that if convicted, the sentences of the accused persons would be determined by the court after considering several factors, including any prior criminal records, their roles in the alleged offences, and the nature of the violations.

MAG/AE

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