The United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Damian Williams, announced today that Mona Faiza Montrage, a prominent Ghanaian public figure known as “Hajia4Real” on Instagram, has pleaded guilty for her involvement in laundering the proceeds of a series of romance scams. The guilty plea was entered before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah L. Cave.
According to the indictment and public court proceedings: Between 2013 and 2019, Montrage was part of a criminal enterprise based in West Africa that executed various frauds, including romance scams, targeting individuals and businesses in the U.S. The romance scams specifically prey on vulnerable, older individuals living alone.
The Enterprise employed deceptive tactics, such as sending emails, text messages, and social media messages to victims, creating a false sense of a romantic relationship. Once trust was established, victims were manipulated into transferring money to bank accounts they believed belonged to their romantic interests but were, in reality, controlled by the Enterprise.
Montrage, 31, gained fame as an influencer with approximately 3.4 million Instagram followers under the username “Hajia4Real.” She received money from multiple romance fraud victims deceived by the Enterprise, using various false pretenses, including payments for transporting gold, resolving a fake FBI investigation, and aiding a fictitious U.S. Army officer in receiving funds from Afghanistan.
In total, Montrage managed bank accounts that received over $2 million in fraudulent funds from the Enterprise. Montrage pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to receive stolen money, carrying a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
As part of the plea agreement, she agreed to forfeit $2,164,758.41 and make restitution in the same amount. Montrage is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Paul A. Crotty.
The announcement underscores the efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit, led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mitzi Steiner and Kevin Mead.
The maximum potential sentence mentioned is for informational purposes only, as the judge will determine the actual sentencing.
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