Federal prosecutors in the United States have indicted two Ghanaian brothers and a U.S.-based woman over an alleged romance fraud operation accused of preying on elderly Americans through dating sites and social media.
Court documents in the case, United States v. Jamal Abubakari, et al., identify the accused as Jamal Abubakari, also known as Jamal Abubakar and “Arrangement,” his brother Kamal Abubakari, also known as Kamal Abubakar and “Lancaster,” and Amanda Joy Opoku-Boachie, who also used the names Amanda Joy Glum and Amanda Joy Kessei Bierman.
The trio was arrested in Virginia and is being held pending further court proceedings.
According to U.S. prosecutors, the suspects allegedly operated as part of a wider fraud network between July 2024 and April 2026, using fake online identities to build romantic and emotional relationships with victims, many of them elderly Americans.
Investigators claim the group gained the confidence of victims through fabricated stories before persuading them to send money through wire transfers into accounts linked to the alleged conspiracy. Authorities further allege that some of the funds were later moved to accomplices in Ghana and other locations.
The indictment includes charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering.
U.S. authorities say the arrests form part of an ongoing effort to dismantle alleged Ghana-linked fraud syndicates accused of targeting elderly people across the country.
The latest case follows several related prosecutions that have already led to convictions and prison sentences.
In one earlier case, Frederick Kumi, also known as Emmanuel Kojo Baah Obeng and Abu Trica, together with Daniel Yussif, also known as Denteni and Slab, were charged in December 2025 with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy.
Other individuals connected to separate but related schemes have already received prison sentences ranging from 12 months to 108 months after pleading guilty.
The investigation was led by the FBI Cleveland Division with support from both U.S. and Ghanaian institutions, including the Economic and Organised Crime Office, the Ghana Police Service, the Cyber Security Authority, the Ghana Immigration Service and the FBI Legal Attaché Office in Accra.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian M. McDonough and Elliot Morrison of the Northern District of Ohio are prosecuting the case.
Authorities also emphasised that the indictment remains an allegation and that all defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
The prosecution falls under the U.S. Department of Justice’s Elder Justice Initiative, a programme aimed at tackling elder abuse, financial exploitation and scams targeting older citizens.
