A Ghanaian Instagram influencer was extradited to the U.S. to face charges of scamming $2 million from lonely American men.
Mona Faiz Montrage, 30, was arrested in London in November and extradited to New York on Friday, May 12. She pled guilty to fleecing $2 million from lonely men over the Internet.
Montrage was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, money laundering conspiracy, money laundering, receipt of stolen money and conspiracy to receive stolen money, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
Federal prosecutors say Montrage impressed her 4.3 million followers with photos and videos of her lavish lifestyle.
A federal indictment unsealed on Friday alleges Montrage used romance scams to entice lonely, older American men to wire money to West Africa.
She used her real name with one man and spoke to him by phone. She sent him a tribal marriage certificate claiming they were married in Ghana, prosecutors allege.
The victim transferred about $89,000 to bank accounts controlled by Montrage. Prosecutors say she allegedly controlled bank accounts that took in more than $2 million in stolen money.
“Once members of the enterprise had successfully convinced victims that they were in a romantic relationship and had gained their trust, they convinced the victims, under false pretenses, to transfer money to bank accounts the victims believed were controlled by their romantic interests, when, in fact, the bank accounts were controlled by members of the enterprise,” the indictment said.
