A federal indictment unsealed in Ohio has charged three people, including two brothers from Ghana and an American-based woman, with running an international romance fraud scheme that targeted elderly U.S. citizens through dating websites and social media.
The accused are identified as Jamal Abubakari (also known as “Arrangement”), Kamal Abubakari (“Lancaster”), and Amanda Joy Opoku-Boachie, who has gone by multiple last names, including Glum and Bierman.
All three were arrested in Virginia and remain in federal custody.
Prosecutors say that between July 2024 and April 2026, the group used fake online identities to build emotional bonds with older victims, often spinning elaborate false stories.
Once trust was established, the victims were persuaded to wire money to accounts controlled by the conspirators. Some of those funds were later sent to accomplices in Ghana and elsewhere, according to the indictment.
The charges include conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering.
The case is part of a wider U.S. crackdown on Ghana-linked fraud networks targeting elderly Americans. Several related prosecutions have already led to convictions and prison sentences.
In one, Frederick Kumi and Daniel Yussif were charged in December 2025 with similar conspiracy counts. Other defendants in connected schemes have received sentences ranging from 12 months to nine years after pleading guilty.
The investigation was led by the FBI’s Cleveland Division, with help from Ghana’s Economic and Organised Crime Office, Police Service, Cyber Security Authority, Immigration Service, and the FBI’s legal attaché in Accra.
Prosecutors are Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian M. McDonough and Elliot Morrison of the Northern District of Ohio.
Authorities remind the public that an indictment is not proof of guilt, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless convicted in court.
The case falls under the Justice Department’s Elder Justice Initiative, aimed at stopping financial crimes against older adults.
