Crime: Ghana
Key Facts
- Who. Ghanaian twins Jamal and Kamal Abubakari, both 22, and Hawaii resident Amanda Joy Opoku-Boachie, 53, pleaded guilty.
- Loss. Victims in 25 US states, Germany and Austria lost more than US$9 million between July 2024 and April 2026.
- Penalty. Each faces up to 20 years in prison; sentencing is set for 9 and 10 February 2027.
- Status. As of 27 October 2026, 13:00 GMT
Two 22-year-old twins from Ghana and a Hawaii woman have admitted in an Ohio court that they built false love stories online to take money from older Americans.
Imagine a kind stranger who writes to you every day, calls you dear and then asks for help with an emergency. Two Ghanaian twins and a woman from Hawaii have pleaded guilty in a US federal court in Ohio to running that kind of romance scam on older Americans.
Their victims lived in 25 US states and lost more than US$9 million between July 2024 and April 2026. The guilty pleas were announced this week.
What We Know
Jamal Abubakari, who used the alias “Arrangement”, and his twin Kamal Abubakari, known as “Lancaster”, are both 22 and from Ghana. They pleaded guilty on Tuesday 13 October 2026 in the federal court for the Northern District of Ohio, which covers the north of the state.
Amanda Joy Opoku-Boachie, 53, of Kula, Hawaii, pleaded guilty in the same court on Tuesday 20 October 2026. She is also known as Amanda Joy Glum and Amanda Joy Kessei Bierman.
All three admitted conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which means plotting to cheat people through electronic money transfers. They were indicted, or formally charged, in May 2026.
The scheme ran from about July 2024 to April 2026. The group targeted older Americans on dating websites and social media.
They used fake personas to build close, often romantic relationships with their targets. After false stories, victims wired money to accounts controlled by members of the conspiracy.
Victims lost more than US$9 million in total. They included residents of Williams County, Ohio, people in 24 other US states and victims in Germany and Austria.
The maximum penalty is 20 years in prison for each defendant. The twins will be sentenced on Tuesday 9 February 2027, and Opoku-Boachie on Wednesday 10 February 2027.
Agents seized luxury jewellery, including watches, rings, chains, medallions and earrings. The FBI Cleveland Division, the Ohio office of America’s federal police agency, led the investigation.
The US Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, which handles cross-border cases, also took part. Ghanaian bodies helped too, including the Attorney-General’s Office, the Ghana Police Service, the Cyber Security Authority (the national cyber regulator) and the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), the country’s financial-crime agency.
What Is Not Known
The judge has not been named in the case details we reviewed. The exact sentences are also unknown, because 20 years is a legal ceiling and not a forecast.
The three were arrested in Virginia earlier this year, but it has not been stated whether they are still held. The terms of any plea deal have not been made public either.
What It Means for Travelers and US Readers
For US readers, the case shows that romance scams reach older Americans in every part of the country, from Ohio to 24 other states. The fraud described here began with attention and affection, and the requests for money came later.
The most useful rule is also the simplest: never wire money to someone you have met only online. A close bond built over weeks does not prove that a person is real.
Be wary when a new online friend suddenly has an emergency that needs cash. Talk to family or a trusted friend before sending anything.
Families can help by asking gently about a relative’s new online friend. A calm question early is easier than a hard conversation after the money has gone.
Travelers should apply the same caution to people met on trips or through apps abroad. Meeting in person does not make a request for money safe.
The case also shows American and Ghanaian agencies working together on a crime that crosses borders. Our report on Ghana’s cybercrime losses looks at the wider problem in the country.
Our coverage of an Interpol report on cybercrime in Africa sets the wider picture. More stories are on our Ghana hub.
The sentencing hearings in February 2027 will show how much prison time the three face. Until then, the guilty pleas stand as the court’s record of what they admitted.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who pleaded guilty in the Ohio romance fraud case?
Twin brothers Jamal and Kamal Abubakari, both 22 and from Ghana, and Amanda Joy Opoku-Boachie, 53, of Kula, Hawaii. All three pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in federal court in the Northern District of Ohio.
How much money did the victims lose?
Victims lost more than US$9 million in total between about July 2024 and April 2026. They lived in 25 US states, including Ohio, and in Germany and Austria.
How long could the defendants go to prison?
The maximum penalty is 20 years in prison for each defendant. The twins will be sentenced on Tuesday 9 February 2027 and Opoku-Boachie on Wednesday 10 February 2027, and the exact sentences are not yet known.
How can people protect themselves from romance scams?
Never wire money to someone you have met only online, however close the relationship feels. If a new friend suddenly asks for money after an emergency story, stop and talk to family or a trusted friend first.
Sources: US Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Ohio (justice.gov); FBI Cleveland Division; Ghanaian authorities.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief