This case involves Mona Faiz Montrage, also known as “Hajia4Reall,” a Ghanaian public figure and influencer who pleaded guilty to her role in laundering the proceeds of romance scams. The announcement was made by Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York.
According to the indictment and statements made in public filings and court proceedings:
- Mona Faiz Montrage was part of a criminal enterprise based in West Africa that perpetrated romance scams against individuals and businesses in the United States.
- The romance scams targeted vulnerable, older individuals who lived alone, deceiving them into believing they were in romantic relationships with fake identities created by the enterprise.
- Once trust was established, victims were persuaded, under false pretenses, to transfer money to bank accounts controlled by members of the enterprise.
- Mona Faiz Montrage, using her Instagram profile “Hajia4Reall,” received money from several victims of romance frauds tricked into sending money by the enterprise.
- Victims were misled into believing the funds were for various purposes, including transporting gold, resolving fake FBI investigations, and assisting a fake U.S. Army officer.
- Bank accounts controlled by Mona Faiz Montrage received over $2 million in fraudulent funds from the enterprise.
Mona Faiz Montrage, 31, pled guilty to one count of conspiring to receive stolen money, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. She also agreed to pay forfeiture and make restitution in the amount of $2,164,758.41. Sentencing will be determined by U.S. District Judge Paul A. Crotty.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was praised for its outstanding work in the investigation. The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit, with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mitzi Steiner and Kevin Mead leading the prosecution.
