In New York City, Mona Faiz Montrage, a well-known Ghanaian influencer, who goes by the name “Hajia4Reall,” has been sentenced to one year and one day in prison for receiving proceeds from romance scams that targeted older Americans. The sentencing was carried out by U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken on June 28, 2024. Mona Faiz Montrage had pleaded guilty on February 21, 2024, to conspiracy charges for receiving stolen money.
According to U.S. Attorney Damian Williams, Mona Faiz Montrage is facing severe consequences for knowingly accepting illegal funds from elderly Americans who were victims of romance scams. Williams stated that such scams not only betray the trust of vulnerable victims but also callously steal their money. He further added that his office and law enforcement partners will relentlessly pursue fraudsters who target Americans, no matter where they are.
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Between 2013 and 2019, Montrage was involved in a criminal organization operating in West Africa that orchestrated several fraudulent activities, including romance scams. The main victims of these scams were older and isolated individuals living in the United States. The organization utilized various communication channels such as emails, text messages, and social media to establish fake romantic relationships with the victims, ultimately convincing them to transfer funds to bank accounts controlled by the criminals.
As an influencer with a following of around 3.4 million on Instagram, Montrage rose to fame. However, she used her platform to deceive approximately forty people into sending her money under false pretenses. These included payments for transporting gold, resolving a fake FBI investigation, and assisting a fake U.S. Army officer. Montrage’s bank accounts received more than $2 million in fraudulent funds as a result of her actions.
Aside from serving time in prison, Montrage, a 32-year-old woman from Accra, Ghana, was also given a three-year period of supervised release. On top of that, she was ordered to surrender $216,475 and pay restitution amounting to $1,387,458.
The Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit is prosecuting this case with the help of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mitzi Steiner and Kevin Mead. The FBI played a vital role in this case with their diligent work.
