Josiah
Hajia 4Reall, a Ghanaian socialite and influencer, has confessed to participating in a scheme to launder money derived from romance scams that specifically targeted older Americans.
Acknowledging her involvement, Mona Faiz Montrage, known as Hajia 4Reall, pleaded guilty today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah L. in the Southern District of New York, as stated by U.S. Attorney Damian Williams.
Williams revealed that Montrage was well aware that the funds she received and transferred had been illicitly obtained from unsuspecting victims who fell prey to online romance scams, falsely believing they were financially assisting someone with whom they had a romantic connection.
Highlighting the impact of such scams on vulnerable and elderly victims, Williams expressed the profound betrayal of trust experienced by victims who discovered their online romantic relationships were fictitious, coupled with the callous theft of their money. Williams emphasized the determination of law enforcement to pursue justice for fraudsters targeting Americans, regardless of their location.
Montrage, arrested in Dubai in January 2024 and subsequently extradited to the U.S. in February 2024, faces a potential prison sentence of up to 20 years for the conspiracy charge.
Source: Omanghana.com
