Ghanaians in UK Jailed Over £2m Romance Fraud: “Terrible Emotional Distress To Victims”
- Five men in the UK have been convicted over a romance scam and money laundering operation
- Three Ghanaians were among the convicts and were jailed between four and seven years in prison
- UK authorities and prosecutors said the convicts showed complete disregard for the people they defrauded
Three men of Ghanaian descent are among five people jailed for engaging in romance fraud.
They were also convicted of stealing more than £2 million in a money laundering operation.
Source: UGC
BBC reported that the suspects are Fawaz Ali, 27, Ebenezer Tackie, 42 and Michael Quartey, 28, Kwabena Edusei, 37 and George Melseaux, 40.
According to the British publication, law enforcement believes the convicted persons had 40 confirmed victims between 2017 and 2024, though authorities suspect about 100 victims.
While they were mostly in the UK, some were also identified in the US and Australia.
Ali, Tackie, and Quartey were found guilty of money laundering offences and sentenced to four years and 10 months, four years and six months, and five years and six months.
Edusei was sentenced to seven years and 10 months, while Melseaux was sentenced to three years and nine months.
Victims were asked for money to cover fake expenses, including fines in remote locations or urgent travel costs.
They transferred money to the bank accounts of the men or even sent cash in the post, according to UK authorities.
"The criminals here showed complete disregard for their victims, who were met on an online dating website for the sole purpose of exploiting and scamming them out of money, said Jane Mitchell, a specialist prosecutor.
"The men used flirtatious language to manipulate people into thinking they were entering into a genuine loving and caring relationship", a Crown Prosecution Service spokesperson said.
What are romance scams?
According to the FBI, in romance scams, a criminal uses a fake online identity to gain a victim's affection and trust.
The scammer then uses the illusion of a romantic or close relationship to manipulate and steal from the victim.
The scammer typically seeks to establish a relationship as quickly as possible, endear himself to the victim, and gain trust. Scammers may propose marriage and make plans to meet in person, but that will never happen. Eventually, they will ask for money.
Ghanaian in UK found guilty of arson attack
In July, a British-Ghanaian in the UK, Nii Mensah, was among three men found guilty of an arson attack on a London warehouse linked to Ukraine.
The 23-year-old was implicated alongside other convicts, Jakeem Rose, aged 23, and Ugnius Asmena, aged 20.
Reuters reported that they were convicted of aggravated arson with intent to endanger life.
Source: Getty Images
The attack was found to have been carried out on behalf of the Wagner Group.
Around £1m of damage was caused by the arson attack on an industrial unit in Leyton, East London.
The warehouse was supplying StarLink satellite equipment to Ukraine.
Two Ghanaians sentenced over romance scam
In November 2024, YEN.com.gh reported that two Ghanaians were sentenced over a romance scam in the US and ordered to pay over $500,000 each.
They reportedly targeted certain elderly US citizens through phone calls and online platforms, targeting those looking for love.
The suspects in the romance scam case were identified as Sadia Alhassan, aged 35 and Mohammed Saaminu Zuberu, aged 39.
Proofreading by Samuel Gitonga, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.
Source: YEN.com.gh
