Twin brothers Jamal and Kamal Abubakari, both 22, have pleaded guilty in a $9 million romance scam that used fake online relationships to convince mostly elderly victims to send money to an international fraud network. Federal investigators say the operation relied on fictional identities, emotional manipulation, and even artificial intelligence technology to help deceive people looking for love.
The brothers, originally from Accra, Ghana, were part of a network that prosecutors say operated from July 2024 through April 2026. Their co-defendant, 53-year-old Amanda Joy Opoku-Boachie of Kula, Hawaii, also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
The operation was built around a calculated approach: find someone looking for companionship, establish a relationship under a false identity, and eventually convince that person to send money.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, members of the network approached potential victims on dating websites and social media platforms. They created fake personas and developed close personal connections, often convincing victims they were communicating with a genuine romantic partner.
The relationships were not real, but the money victims sent certainly was.
Federal prosecutors say the conspirators used fabricated stories to persuade victims to transfer funds into bank accounts controlled by members of the operation. Some of that money was subsequently forwarded to accomplices in Ghana and other locations.
The deception also went beyond ordinary fake dating profiles.
In a June 2026 announcement, the Justice Department disclosed that the larger fraud operation used artificial intelligence-powered video platforms to communicate with victims while impersonating women.
That technology gave members of the network another method of presenting fictional identities as real people. Prosecutors have not publicly established which specific AI interactions were personally conducted by either Abubakari brother.
Other reported tactics included false claims involving medical emergencies, supposed investment opportunities, and travel expenses needed to arrange in-person meetings. Those stories provided reasons for victims to send money while believing they were helping someone with whom they had developed a personal relationship.
The scheme stretched far beyond one city or even one country.
Federal authorities identified victims in 25 U.S. states, including Ohio, as well as Germany and Austria. Many were older adults who had been persuaded to transfer their savings after developing relationships with people who were not who they claimed to be.
The twins also operated under aliases. Jamal was known as “Arrangement,” while Kamal used “Lancaster,” according to federal records. Opoku-Boachie was also identified under the names Amanda Joy Glum and Amanda Joy Kessei Bierman.
The brothers and Opoku-Boachie were arrested in Virginia after federal authorities investigated the operation. In May 2026, prosecutors announced charges involving conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering.
A June 4 Justice Department announcement linked the defendants to a larger alleged romance fraud operation involving more than 130 victims and over $15 million. That investigation also identified two other Ghanaian defendants, Frederick Kumi, also known as Abu Trica, and Daniel Yussif, also known as Denteni or Slab, who were awaiting extradition at the time.
Authorities reported seizing more than $3 million in assets during operations in Ghana, including a Lamborghini, Tesla Cybertruck, Mercedes-Benz, and BMW.
The October guilty plea announcement placed the documented victim losses associated with the three defendants at more than $9 million.
Investigators also seized expensive jewelry during the arrests. As part of their plea agreements, the Abubakari brothers and Opoku-Boachie agreed to forfeit luxury watches, rings, chains, medallions, earrings, and other jewelry.
Both brothers pleaded guilty on October 13, 2026. Opoku-Boachie entered her guilty plea on October 20.
The three defendants now face maximum sentences of 20 years in federal prison each, although their actual punishments will be determined by a federal judge.
Sentencing for Jamal and Kamal Abubakari is scheduled for February 9, 2027, with Opoku-Boachie’s sentencing set for February 10.
The FBI’s Cleveland Division led the investigation, working alongside American and Ghanaian authorities to trace the international operation.
