Three Ghanaian males have been extradited to the US over $100 million fraud involving romance scams and enterprise e mail compromise concentrating on people and firms.
The FBI and the Division of Justice (DoJ) have introduced the extradition of three Ghanaian nationals accused of being a part of a large-scale legal operation. The people, specifically Isaac Oduro Boateng, Inusah Ahmed, and Derrick Van Yeboah, arrived within the US on August 7, 2025, and are going through prices for his or her roles in a scheme that stole greater than $100 million from dozens of victims. A fourth suspect, Patrick Kwame Asare, has not but been apprehended.
The indictment (PDF) alleges that these males have been high-ranking members of a legal organisation based mostly in Ghana that ran two main forms of fraud: romance scams and enterprise e mail compromises.
In romance scams, the criminals created faux on-line identities to trick susceptible individuals, typically older women and men, into believing they have been in a loving relationship. As soon as they gained the victims’ belief, they might persuade them to ship cash or assist launder funds from different victims.
The group additionally used enterprise e mail compromises (BEC). Such a fraud includes tricking firms into wiring cash to fraudulent accounts. The scammers would probably fake to be a trusted enterprise companion or an organization government to persuade workers to make the funds. The stolen cash was then laundered and despatched to West Africa.
US Legal professional Jay Clayton acknowledged, the accused allegedly “led and took part in a global fraud ring that engaged in an enormous conspiracy to defraud susceptible individuals and steal from companies.”
The extradition of the three suspects is a exceptional effort involving worldwide cooperation. In line with the DoJ, Ghana’s authorities and its legislation enforcement businesses, together with the Financial and Organised Crime Workplace and the Ghana Police Service, supplied important help.
The FBI’s Assistant Director Christopher G. Raia highlighted the severity of the crimes, stating, “Deceiving companies utilizing e mail compromise campaigns and tricking harmless aged victims by means of fraudulent companionship to be able to exploit their belief and funds is just not merely appalling however unlawful.”
The 4 males are actually going through a number of prices, together with wire fraud, wire fraud conspiracy, cash laundering conspiracy, and receiving stolen cash. The costs are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed harmless till confirmed responsible in court docket.
That is the second extradition of scammers concerned in large-scale schemes concentrating on People. On August 5, the FBI introduced the arrest of a Nigerian nationwide and his extradition to the US to face prices of hacking, id theft, and fraud. He and his co-conspirators are accused of utilizing spearphishing to steal buyer knowledge, in addition to submitting fraudulent tax returns and catastrophe aid claims price thousands and thousands of {dollars}.