Hajia4Reall Pleads Guilty to Receiving Fraud Proceeds, Money Laundering in $2M Romance Scam Case

Ghanaian Social Media Influencer Mona Faiz Montrage, widely known as Hajia4Reall, has pleaded guilty to receiving fraud proceeds and money laundering in a $2 million romance scam case.

According to the United States Attorney’s Office website, Hajia4Reall pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to receive stolen money, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah L. Cave. Additionally, she agreed to forfeit $2,164,758.41 and make restitution in the same amount. Sentencing is scheduled to be conducted by U.S. District Judge Paul A. Crotty later.

Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced the guilty plea, emphasizing the serious consequences faced by Hajia4Reall for her involvement in the romance scam.

“Mona Faiz Montrage knowingly received money stolen from older Americans through romance scams and was arrested abroad and now faces serious consequences for her actions. Romance scams such as Montrage’s harmed her vulnerable, elderly victims not only in the cruel betrayal of trust in the realization that their online romantic connection was fiction, but by also callously stealing their money. This Office and our law enforcement partners are relentless in bringing fraudsters who target Americans to justice, no matter where they are,” the US Attorney said.

Hajia4Reall was extradited from the United Kingdom to the United States in May 2023 for her alleged role in the romance scam, locally referred to as ‘sakawa.’ Prosecutors charged her with multiple offences, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering, each carrying a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment. She also faced charges of receipt of stolen money and conspiracy to receive stolen money, with maximum sentences of 10 and five years, respectively.

US Prosecutors revealed that Hajia4Reall was part of a criminal enterprise based in Ghana, operating romance scams targeting individuals and businesses in the United States. The enterprise deceived victims into believing they were in romantic relationships and then persuaded them to transfer money to bank accounts controlled by the scammers.

Many of the Enterprise’s romance scam victims were vulnerable, older men and women who lived alone. The Enterprise frequently conducted romance scams by sending the victims emails, text messages, and social media messages that deceived the victims into believing that they were in romantic relationships with a person who had a fake identity assumed by members of the Enterprise. Once members of the Enterprise had successfully convinced victims that they were in a romantic relationship and had gained their trust, they convinced the victims, under false pretences, to transfer money to bank accounts the victims believed were controlled by their romantic interests, when, in fact, the bank accounts were controlled by members of the Enterprise.

Despite initially pleading not guilty to all charges in May 2023 and being released on bail, Hajia4Reall ultimately admitted guilt. In a now-deleted Instagram post on June 26, 2023, she expressed appreciation for the support of her fans and maintained her belief in eventual vindication, stating, “There is time for everything, and the world will come to know the truth, and my story will be heard.”