Abu Trica, a popular Ghanaian social media influencer, has been arrested for allegedly orchestrating a romance scam that defrauded elderly Americans of over $8 million. Frederick Kumi, 31, also known as Emmanuel Kojo Baah Obeng, used AI tools to create fake online identities, targeting victims through social media and dating sites.
He faces charges in the US of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy, carrying a potential 20-year prison sentence.
Kumi’s lavish lifestyle, flaunting luxury cars and properties, raised suspicions about his income sources. Prosecutors allege he built trust with victims through intimate conversations, requesting money for fake medical needs, travel, or investments.
The funds were directed to co-conspirators posing as third parties, with Kumi distributing the money to associates in the US and Ghana.
The US has stepped up crackdowns on West African cybercrime networks targeting elderly Americans.
This case follows recent extraditions and sentencing of other Ghanaian and Nigerian fraudsters, including Dada Joe Remix and Oluwaseun Adekoya.
