Extradited to the United States to face allegations of defrauding lonely Americans of more than $2 million in a sophisticated international romance scheme is a woman who, according to federal prosecutors, gained notoriety as a social media influencer with 4.2 million Instagram followers worldwide.
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has classified fake romance plots as one of the most dangerous types of online fraud, with costs exceeding $1.3 billion in some years, more than any other FTC fraud category. Famous opening solicitations in these situations frequently feature pictures of lovely people with statements like, “We haven’t met, but let’s talk about marriage.”
Romance scams, particularly those that prey on seniors, are a serious concern, according to FBI Assistant Director in Charge Michael J. Driscoll on Monday. “We claimed today that Mona Faiz Montrage had control over more than $2 million in fraudulent funds as a result of her involvement in numerous romance scams, many of which targeted elderly victims.”
According to a federal indictment made public this week, Montrage, 30, is a Ghanaian social media influencer whose “Hajia4Reall” profile is among the top 10 most followed in her home country. She was taken into custody on American charges and extradited from the UK. Federal authorities have determined her Instagram account to belong to posts that feature a young woman dressed well and posing in front of expensive cars.
In the U.S. indictment, she is accused of committing one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, and one crime of money laundering, each of which carries a possible 20-year prison sentence. Montrage, a native of Accra, the capital of Ghana, is also accused with conspiring to accept stolen property, which carries a five-year maximum prison sentence, and receiving stolen property, which brings a 10-year maximum punishment.
“Montrage was a member of a criminal enterprise (the “Enterprise”) based in West Africa that committed a series of frauds against individuals and businesses in the United States, including romance scams,” prosecutors said in a statement on Monday. “From at least in or about 2013 through in or about 2019, Montrage was a member of the Enterprise.”
Victims were older, vulnerable, looking for love
“Many of the victims of the Enterprise’s romance scam were frail, elderly, and lone residents. According to court documents, The Enterprise commonly carried out romance scams by sending the victims emails, texts, and social media communications that led the victims to believe they were in romantic relationships.
Prosecutors claim that after convincing victims they were engaged in a love relationship and earning their trust, members of the Enterprise persuaded the victims to transfer money to bank accounts under their control on false pretences.
Prosecutors claimed that the scheme employed ruses other than romance plots.
According to the federal indictment, payments to transport gold to the United States from abroad, payments to end a fictitious FBI unemployment investigation, and payments to help a fictitious United States army officer receive money from Afghanistan were among the false claims made to get victims to send money to Montrage.
“As alleged, Mona Faiz Montrage was a member of a criminal conspiracy that specifically targeted older Americans through romance scams,” said Manhattan U.S. Attorney Damian Williams in a statement. For helpless victims, these schemes can have catastrophic financial and emotional effects.
One victim received a marriage certificate
Montrage allegedly went to considerable measures to persuade one of the victims that the two were married, according to the prosecution.
According to the accusation, Montrage mailed the victim a tribal marriage certificate claiming to be proof that she and the victim were wed in Ghana. Prosecutors stated in a statement that the victim wired Montrage about 82 wire transfers totaling about $89,000 “to allegedly help with costs associated with Montrage’s father’s farm in Ghana.”
During a court hearing on Monday, Montrage entered a not guilty plea and was scheduled to be released on a $500,000 bail with GPS tracking to her aunt’s New Jersey home in the following days, according to the prosecutor’s office and her attorney, who spoke to the New York Post.
According to her lawyer, Adam Cortez, “at this point, all we know is that there are six alleged victims, only two dealt with a woman, and only one of them claims that he dealt with Ms. Montrage.”
Social media influencers present unique problems in cases
According to Maysan Alobaid, a former research assistant at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, money laundering “has become a greater threat in the age of influencer culture.” Alobaid claims that because influencers are less strictly regulated, transactions are made simple and investigations are more difficult for law enforcement.
Since her arrest in the UK on November 10, 2022, Montrage, who has 4.2 million followers on Instagram, has stayed active on her social media platforms.
She regularly shares her opulent lifestyle and participates in social media trends on her TikTok and Instagram accounts.
In one video from earlier this month, Montrage is spotted with friends looking on items from a Dior trunk show. In other posts, Montrage is also seen endorsing goods and working with other influencers.
