The US Department of Justice has released three separate indictments involving Ghanaians as part of a broad federal crackdown on international romance fraud schemes that targeted elderly US citizens.
The U.S. Department of Justice via its website, announced numerous romance fraud schemes against US citizens in recognition of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, highlighting the efforts of law enforcement agencies to disrupt criminal networks that target unsuspecting elderly individuals.
Popular amongst the Ghanaian suspects is Joseph Boateng also known as “Dada Joe Remix whose grand jury indictment was unsealed in the District of Arizona on May 30,2025.
He has been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
According to court documents, from at least 2013 through to March 2023, Boateng and his co-conspirators engaged in a romance or inheritance scheme that targeted elderly American victims and others around the world.
Investigations from the FBI said Boateng and his co-conspirators tricked these elderly US citizens into believing that they had gold and jewels and that to release such items, taxes and fees or other costs would be required.
Boateng was arrested in Ghana on May 28 after a request from the U.S. for his extradition.
In a related case, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio on May 13 brought charges against Otuo Amponsah, Anna Amponsah, Hannah Adom, Portia Joe, Abdoul Issaka Assimiou, and Dwayne Asafo Adjei for their participation in conspiracies to commit wire fraud and money laundering.
The suspects are alleged to have used various wire fraud and romance fraud schemes to obtain funds from victims by means of false pretenses. They usually target elderly individuals in the United States.
Court documents claim that they shared funds obtained from victims with co-conspirators in Ghana and elsewhere.
The third case is against David Onyinye Abuanekwu, Dwayne Asafo Adjei, Nancy Adom, Eric Aidoo, and Nader Wasif. They have all been charged with wire fraud and money laundering conspiracies by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio on June 4, 2025.
Court documents concluded that from December 2017 through to March 2024, the defendants used various wire fraud and romance fraud schemes which often targeted elderly individuals in the United States to obtain funds from victims by means of false pretenses.
Investigations proved that the defendants shared in funds obtained from victims with co-conspirators in Ghana and elsewhere.
All three cases were investigated by the FBI and form part of a broader Justice Department initiative to combat transnational fraud targeting older Americans.
“Prosecutors across the country are stepping up the fight against malicious schemes that target older Americans,” said U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi.
“We are working with domestic law enforcement and foreign counterparts every day to hold criminals accountable and ensure that justice is done for our seniors both here at home and abroad.”
The Department emphasised that romance fraud remains one of the most common schemes used by fraudsters globally, especially in targeting older, isolated individuals. These scams often begin on social media or dating platforms and evolve into sophisticated ploys to defraud victims of their life savings.
The accused individuals remain innocent until proven guilty in court. However, U.S. authorities are pursuing extraditions and pledging continued international cooperation, especially with countries like Ghana, which have been identified as major nodes in these fraudulent networks.
Victims of elder fraud in the U.S. are encouraged to report their cases to the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 or through the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).
