The Ghanaian socialite and musician, Hajia4Reall, might not be the sole suspect in the ongoing $2 million romance scam case in the United States.
Hajia4Reall, who was recently extradited from the United Kingdom to the US, has pleaded not guilty to the charges in a Manhattan federal court.
Ghana's Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC), collaborating with INTERPOL and the FBI, has declared that individuals within the suspect's social and business network are now persons of interest in the investigation.
Hajia4Reall is known for her associations in the entertainment and business circles in Ghana and served as an ambassador for various brands.
According to Shaun Henry Osei, Deputy Manager of the FIC, “Obviously, she's not going to be working alone, she's going to be working in a network. The evidence that you have access to will actually lead you to be able to find out who her greater network is and obviously, if you find her greater network, by instinct you will want to look at those people because then they become persons of interest.”
The FIC is Ghana's national centre for receiving and analyzing reports of suspicious transactions related to money laundering, terrorist financing, and proliferation financing.
The centre is urging the public to provide any relevant information on possible financial crimes.
In the case itself, Hajia4Reall, a 30-year-old model, appeared in a Manhattan federal court and is accused of involvement in a series of romance scams targeting elderly individuals living alone.
She is expected to be released on home detention to her aunt's residence in New Jersey, pending a $500,000 bond, with GPS tracking through an ankle monitor.
The US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Damian Williams, and Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI's New York Field Office, announced the unsealing of a six-count Indictment charging Hajia4Real for her role in the romance schemes and money laundering.
Hajia4Reall, also known as Mona 4Reall, gained fame as an influencer on Instagram with millions of followers.
The court revealed that from 2013 to 2019, she was part of a criminal enterprise based in Ghana, which committed fraud against individuals and businesses in the US, particularly targeting elderly victims through romance scams.
She received money from several victims tricked by the enterprise into sending funds, using various false pretences.
The court stated, “In total, Montrage controlled bank accounts that received over $2 million in fraudulent funds from the Enterprise.”
