US authorities have arrested a 28-year-old Ghanaian national for wire fraud and money laundering related to a ‘romance scam’. Authorities have charged Kofi Osei, the detainee, on several counts of making a false statement to a bank, wire fraud and money laundering.
Between 2016-20, Osei used fraudulent identity documents to open bank accounts in the greater Boston area. He then used these accounts to receive over $1.7 million in illicit funds sourced from victims of romance scams. In these scams, the criminals created fake online profiles and developed romantic relationships with US-based victims online. The criminals then exploited the relationships to get money and property. After the victims transferred the money to these fraudulent accounts, Osei withdrew the money in cash or cashier’s checks or spent it for personal use.
For his many criminal charges, Osei may receive a sentence involving several years in prison and a hefty monetary fine.
Source: US Department of Justice