Federal prosecutors said on Monday that Ghanaian social media personality Mona Faiz Montrage, also known online as Hajia4Reall, had been extradited to the US from the UK for allegedly defrauding elderly, single Americans out of over $2 million in a deranged lonely-hearts scam.

Mona Faiz Montrage, 30, of Accra, Ghana, appeared in federal court in Manhattan on Monday for her alleged involvement in many romance scams that concentrated on elderly individuals who were living alone, according to the prosecution. She entered a not guilty plea to the allegations, and according to her attorney, she will be freed in the upcoming days on a $500,000 bail with GPS monitoring through an ankle monitor.

Federal prosecutors continued: "The fraudsters would then persuade the victims to provide money to them under false pretenses, including payments to aid phony US Army troops in Afghanistan, resolution of fictitious FBI investigations, and payments to help smuggle gold to the US from abroad, according to court filings.

After several phone calls using her true name, she allegedly deceived the individual into thinking the two were married by giving them a tribal marriage certificate.

“As alleged, Mona Faiz Montrage was a member of a conspiracy that specifically targeted older Americans through lovemaking,” Manhattan U.S. Attorney Damian said in a statement. "These scams can be both financially and devastating to vulnerable victims."

 "Thanks to the efforts of our law enforcement partners, Montrage was arrested overseas and brought to the United States to face justice," the statement said. The social media influencer - whose Instagram account among the 10 most followed in Ghana - was arrested on November 10, 2022, in the UK for the alleged conspiracy and brought to the US on Friday.

 Montrage is charged with electronic fraud , money laundering, receipt of stolen money and conspiracy. She faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted on the top charge. Montrage's attorney Adam Cortez told the Post: At the moment, all we know is that he has six alleged victims and only two have had a wife and one only of them claims to have dealt with Ms. Montrage.

”Her lawyer Cortez said he couldn't comment further until he receives more information and evidence from the prosecutors. The attorney said his client is only able to travel to parts of New York and New York while awaiting her case.


Source:markneswin.blogspot.com