Two Ghanaians In US Jailed, Ordered To Pay Over $1M After Defrauding Americans In Romance Scams
- Two Ghanaian nationals have been sentenced in the US and ordered to pay over $500,000 each
- Based in Ghana, they targeted elderly US citizens through phone calls and online platforms
- The Ghanaian convicts have been identified as Sadia Alhassan, 35, and Mohammed Saaminu Zuberu, 39
Two Ghanaian nationals have been sentenced in the US and ordered to pay $581,261.67 each in restitution after romance scams targeting elderly Americans.
The convicts are Sadia Alhassan, 35, and Mohammed Saaminu Zuberu, 39.
Source: Getty Images
Reports from the US noted that one other, Shawn William Smith, 26, was convicted over the scheme that defrauded vulnerable US citizens by manipulating them into sending money to fictitious romantic partners.
Alhassan, who resided in Tallahassee on a student visa, was sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment and three years' supervised release.
Zuberu, a dual US-Ghanaian citizen living in Aldie, Virginia, was sentenced to five and a half months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
Smith was sentenced to serve one day in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, including 150 hours of community service.
The scam operated from March 2019 to March 2022. Based in Ghana, they targeted elderly US citizens through phone calls and online platforms, creating fabricated relationships to deceive the victims.
According to court documents, Zuberu acted as an intermediary, coordinating money transfers between Alhassan, Smith, and the Ghana-based orchestrators.
On at least one occasion, Zuberu sent a tracking receipt for a package from one of the victims to Alhassan, notifying the scammers when the funds had arrived.
Alhassan and Zuberu then used some of the money to purchase money orders, which were later deposited into accounts under their control and quickly withdrawn at ATMs in Ghana.
Ghanaian involvement in romance scams
Ghana's most high-profile link to romance scams was Hajia4Reall, recently sentenced to one year and one day in jail in the US over her $2 million romance scam saga.
Before her sentencing on June 28, the Fine Girl hitmaker, who had pleaded guilty, submitted a statement pleading for a lenient sentence.
In the court document, she explained the circumstances leading to her involvement in romance scams, naming Allison, the father of her eight-year-old daughter, Naila, as the one who introduced her.
According to the Fine Girl hitmaker, she met and started dating Loveman Allison in 2015 in the US. She later discovered that Allison was engaged in fraudulent activities.
Initially, he convinced her that everything was legitimate, but it later turned out that he had lied. He then introduced her to the "game," and she accepted to be part of it.
The Fine Girl hitmaker, who described Allison as an irresponsible father to their daughter, further pleaded that a prolonged absence could harm her daughter's well-being.
Hajia4Reall's lawyer denies "snitching" rumours
YEN.com.gh reported that Hajia4Reall's attorney in the $2 million romance scam case has denied rumours that she snitched to get a reduced sentence.
In a video, Hajia4Reall's lawyer indicated that her client did not meet with authorities to cut a deal at any point.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
