Ghanaian twin brothers and US woman plead guilty to $9m romance scam

Twin brothers from Ghana and an American woman have pleaded guilty to being part of an international criminal network that defrauded people on dating sites and social media.

The group targeted elderly people in the US and Europe, using fake identities to lure their victims into believing they were in a romantic relationship, before persuading them to transfer large sums of money into bank accounts in Ghana.

The 22-year-old twins, Jamal and Kamal Abubakari, and 53-year-old Amanda Joy Opoku-Boachie from Hawaii face up to 20 years in jail and will be sentenced next year.

Between July 2024 - April 2026, the victims collectively lost $9m (£6.7m).

While many of them were from Ohio - where the charges were brought - other victims were located in 24 other US states, as well as Germany and Austria.

As part of the plea, the Abubakaris and Opoku-Boachie agreed to forfeit pieces of jewellery which investigators seized during their arrest, including luxury watches, rings, chains and earrings.