Mona Faiz Montrage, a popular Ghanaian influencer known as “Hajia4reall” on Instagram, is facing serious allegations of orchestrating a multi-million dollar romance scam targeting vulnerable and elderly victims in the United States.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of New York announced on Monday that Montrage, 30, had been extradited to the U.S. following her arrest in the United Kingdom last November. With over 4.2 million followers on Instagram, she built her online presence by showcasing a luxurious lifestyle.
Prosecutors claim that Montrage scammed her followers out of more than $2 million, leading to charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, money laundering conspiracy, money laundering, receipt of stolen money, and conspiracy to receive stolen money.
According to authorities, she gained fame as an influencer in Ghana, where she ranked among the top 10 most followed profiles. Her Instagram page features content on music, London travels, and high-end products.
During her initial court appearance on Monday, Montrage pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Prosecutors allege that she participated in various romance scams, specifically targeting vulnerable elderly individuals who lived alone. Under false pretenses, she obtained money from them.
Between 2013 and 2019, she allegedly operated as part of a criminal network in West Africa engaged in fraudulent activities, including romance scams, targeting individuals and businesses in the United States.
Montrage allegedly controlled bank accounts that received over $2 million in illicit funds from the criminal operation.
The scam operation involved using fake personas on online dating platforms and social media websites to establish relationships with victims. These victims were then manipulated into believing they were involved in romantic relationships and subsequently convinced to transfer funds to bank accounts controlled by the criminals.
Victims were lured into sending money through various fabricated scenarios, such as payments for transporting gold from overseas to the United States, resolving fictitious FBI unemployment investigations, or assisting a fake United States Army officer in receiving funds from Afghanistan, as stated by prosecutors.
