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Ghanaian Influencer Sentenced for Romance Scam Proceeds Receipt
Mona Faiz Montrage, a prominent Ghanaian influencer, has been sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison for receiving proceeds from romance scams. Montrage, 32, of Accra, Ghana, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken on June 28, 2024.
According to the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Damian Williams, Montrage knowingly received illegal funds from older Americans who were victims of romance scams. The romance scams, as alleged in the Indictment and statements made in public filings and public court proceedings, involved members of a criminal enterprise sending emails, text messages, and social media messages to victims, deceiving them into believing they were in romantic relationships with a person who was, in fact, a fake identity assumed by members of the Enterprise.
The Enterprise, based in West Africa, committed a series of frauds against individuals and businesses in the U.S., including romance scams. Many of the Enterprise’s romance scam victims were vulnerable, older men and women who lived alone. The Enterprise frequently conducted the romance scams by sending the victims emails, text messages, and social media messages that deceived the victims into believing that they were in romantic relationships with a person who was, in fact, a fake identity assumed by members of the Enterprise.
Montrage, who rose to fame as an influencer through her Instagram profile under the username ‘Hajia4Reall,’ controlled bank accounts that received over $2 million in fraudulent funds for the Enterprise. Among the false pretenses used to induce victims to send money to Montrage were payments to transport gold to the U.S. from overseas, payments to resolve a fake Federal Bureau of Investigation (‘FBI’) investigation, and payments to assist a fake U.S. Army officer in receiving funds from Afghanistan.
Montrage received money from approximately forty victims of romance frauds, whom members of the Enterprise tricked into sending money. In addition to the prison term, Montrage was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to forfeit $216,475 and pay restitution in the amount of $1,387,458.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mitzi Steiner and Kevin Mead are in charge of the prosecution. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the FBI in bringing Montrage to justice.
Key Facts
- State: New York
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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