Three Plead Guilty in $9 Million Romance Fraud Case Built on Fake Dating Profiles
Federal prosecutors in Ohio say the scheme used fake personas on dating websites and social media to target mostly older Americans in 25 states and two European countries.
Three people have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud for their roles in romance scams that took more than $9 million from victims, most of them older Americans, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Ohio said on October 26.
According to the release, twin brothers Jamal Abubakari and Kamal Abubakari, both 22 and from Ghana, pleaded guilty on October 13, and Amanda Joy Opoku-Boachie, 53, of Kula, Hawaii, pleaded guilty on October 20. Prosecutors said the scheme ran from about July 2024 to April 2026 and used fake personas on dating websites and social media platforms. Victims were in Williams County, Ohio, 24 other states, Germany and Austria. The release does not name the platforms involved.
Each defendant faces up to 20 years in prison. Sentencing is set for February 9, 2027, for the brothers and February 10 for Opoku-Boachie. As part of their pleas, the defendants agreed to forfeit seized jewelry, including luxury watches, rings, chains and medallions.
The case was announced six days after President Trump signed the Romance Scam Prevention Act, which will require dating services to warn users who messaged accounts later banned for fraud.
Why it matters: This is the pattern the new federal law targets: long-running fraud that starts on dating and social platforms and moves victims elsewhere before money changes hands. Prosecutions depend on records platforms hold, such as account data, message logs and ban histories. Operators should make sure their fraud bans, law enforcement response process and record retention are documented, because those records will matter to prosecutors now and to the FTC from October 2027.
Sources: U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Ohio, October 26, 2026
Key takeaways
- 01Three defendants pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy in romance scams that took more than $9 million.
- 02Prosecutors said the scheme used fake personas on dating websites and social media from 2024 to 2026.
- 03Victims were in Ohio, 24 other states, Germany and Austria; sentencing is set for February 2027.
Reviewed by an operator. Last updated October 28, 2026. High Intent is led by founder and CEO Bill Alena, backed by a team of industry experts with over 100 years of online dating experience between them.
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