Prominent Ghanaian musician and socialite Mona Faiz Montrage, widely recognized as Hajia4Real, has been extradited to the United States, where she faces charges related to a $2 million ($1.6 million) romance scam.
The criminal organization she allegedly participated in specifically targeted vulnerable American individuals, both men and women, exploiting their loneliness. In one particular instance, she deceitfully posed as a spouse to one of the victims to advance her fraudulent activities.
According to a statement released by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), Hajia4Real has been officially charged with multiple offenses, including conspiracy to commit fraud and money laundering. If convicted, she could face a maximum prison sentence of 20 years for each count. Additionally, she faces charges related to conspiracy to receive stolen money, which carries a maximum sentence of five years, as well as charges of receipt of stolen money, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years.
Hajia4Real, aged 30, was initially apprehended in the United Kingdom on November 10 last year and subsequently extradited to the United States on Friday to face these charges.
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During her court appearance on Monday, Hajia4Real entered a plea of not guilty to all charges brought against her. The US authorities have raised concerns about the prevalence of romance scams that primarily target older individuals and have emphasized the importance of holding the culprits accountable for their actions.
It is alleged that Mona Faiz Montrage was involved in a criminal enterprise based in West Africa, which engaged in fraudulent activities, including defrauding companies and individuals. Specifically, the enterprise is accused of carrying out romance scams in the US during the period from 2013 to 2019.
