FBI Arrest 3 Ghanaians For Alleged $100 Million Romance Scam, One Other Suspect At Large

Source: Africa Publicity

The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has in collaboration with Interpol and the Ghana Police Service, arrested three Ghanaian citizens for their alleged involvement in a $100 million romance scam and Business Email Compromise (BEC) fraud.

The suspects identified by Ghanaian authorities include Isaac Kofi Oduro Boateng (also known as Kofi Boat). Kofi Boat is believed to be a close friend of Ghanaian dancehall musician, Shatta Wale.

According to court documents, the suspects were involved in sophisticated BEC and romance scams targeting people and companies in America.

They were arrested on Friday, June 13, 2025. A fourth suspect, as at the time of filing this report was believed to at large.

A letter signed by Ghana’s Interior Minister, Muntaka Mohammed Mubarak and addressed to the Magistrate of the District Court in the Ghanaian capital, Accra, named all four suspects as Isaac Oduro Boateng, Inusah Ahmed, Derrick van Yeboah, and Patrick Kwame Asare.

Court documents show that the suspects are all facing extradition to the United States in connection with the $100 million fraud scheme.

The extradition request originated from the US Department of State, conveyed through the US Embassy in Accra.

The request follows an indictment issued in May 2023 by the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, which charged the accused persons with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering in connection with a criminal enterprise operating from Ghana.

On Monday, June 16, 2025, an Accra magistrate court remanded the three suspects into police custody, pending further legal proceedings.

Court documents show that Kofi Boateng is suspected of being the ringleader of the syndicate, which is believed to have operated between 2016 and 2023. Prosecutors allege that the group orchestrated large-scale cyber fraud, primarily through impersonating company officials via spoofed email accounts. Victims were reportedly tricked into authorising wire transfers, with the suspects allegedly attaching fraudulent authorisation letters bearing forged signatures to lend credibility to their schemes.