A series of recent U.S. Department of Justice prosecutions has highlighted the continued involvement of individuals based in Ghana in large-scale romance scams and related financial frauds, even among perpetrators who maintained low-profile lifestyles.
In the past 16 months alone, at least six Ghanaian nationals have been sentenced or ordered to pay substantial restitution in federal courts across the United States for their roles in sophisticated international fraud operations that collectively defrauded victims of millions of dollars.
Notable cases verified through official DOJ announcements include:
- Banabas Ganidekam, ordered in August 2022 to pay $156,073 in restitution for participating in a romance fraud scheme that targeted victims through fake online personas.
- Abdul Inusah, sentenced in March 2023 to federal prison for his role in a separate romance scam conspiracy.
- Wigbert Bandie, who received a 63-month prison sentence in November 2024 after pleading guilty to a $2 million international wire fraud conspiracy.
- Jessica Nortey, sentenced in September 2024 for laundering more than $1 million in money laundering tied to online scams, including approximately $774,150 taken from a single romance-scam victim.
- Mohammed Saaminu Zuberu, ordered in November 2024 to pay joint restitution of $581,261.67 alongside two co-defendants in a romance fraud case.
- David Kakra Mensah, charged in a December 2024 indictment with helping move over $603,000 fraudulently transferred from a U.S. university account through accounts linked to him.
These cases, drawn exclusively from publicly available U.S. Department of Justice press releases and court filings in 2023–2024, illustrate that U.S. authorities are actively pursuing Ghana-based fraud networks regardless of whether the individuals flaunt wealth or live discreetly.
Federal prosecutors have emphasized that the low-key lifestyles adopted by some scammers do not shield them from investigation. “When we have sufficient evidence—often developed through victim reports, financial records, digital forensics, and international cooperation—we move forward,” a DOJ official familiar with West African fraud prosecutions told reporters on background.
The FBI and DOJ continue to prioritize transnational organized fraud rings originating in West Africa, particularly romance scams and business email compromise (BEC) schemes, which collectively cost U.S. victims billions annually. Cooperation with Ghanaian law enforcement has increased in recent years, leading to more arrests and extraditions.
While dozens of additional Ghanaian nationals remain under indictment or investigation in similar cases, officials stress that only those with strong evidentiary trails are brought to trial.
The surge in successful prosecutions serves as a reminder that maintaining a modest public profile offers no guarantee of evading justice when substantial victim losses and traceable financial trails are involved.