FBI Busts $100M Romance Scam Ring

United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), Christopher G. Raia, announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging four Ghanaian nationals, ISAAC ODURO BOATENG, a/k/a “Kofi Boat,” INUSAH AHMED, a/k/a “Pascal,” DERRICK VAN YEBOAH, a/k/a “Van,” and PATRICK KWAME ASARE, a/k/a “Borgar,” for their roles in an international criminal organization that stole more than $100 million from victims via romance scams and business email compromises.

BOATENG, AHMED, VAN YEBOAH, and ASARE were high-ranking members of a criminal organization based in Ghana that committed romance scams and business email compromises against individuals and businesses located across the U.S.

Many of the conspiracy’s victims were vulnerable older men and women who were tricked into believing that they were in online romantic relationships with people who were, in fact, fake identities assumed by members of the conspiracy. Once members of the conspiracy had gained the trust of their victims, they deceived those victims into sending their money to the enterprise or into helping them launder funds from other victims. The conspirators also committed business email compromises to trick and deceive businesses into wiring funds to the enterprise. In total, the conspiracy stole and laundered more than $100 million from dozens of victims.

After stealing the money, the fraud proceeds were then laundered to West Africa, where they were largely funneled to individuals called “chairmen,” who directed the activities of other members of the conspiracy. BOATENG and AHMED were considered chairmen of the organization.

BOATENG, 36; AHMED, 40; VAN YEBOAH, 40; and ASARE, 39, each of Ghana, are charged with one count of wire fraud conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of money laundering conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of conspiracy to receive stolen money, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; and one count of receipt of stolen money, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.