Ghanaian socialite and Instagram influencer Mona Faiz Montrage, popularly known as Hajia4Reall, has been extradited from the United Kingdom to the United States. She was extradited based on allegations of swindling over $2 million from older, single Americans in a romance scam. The influencer was arrested in the UK on November 10, 2022, and brought to the US on Friday, May 12. Her Instagram account ranks among the top 10 most followed in Ghana.
According to US prosecutors, Hajia4Reall appeared in Manhattan federal court on Monday, May 15. She appeared for her alleged involvement in a series of romance schemes targeting older individuals living alone. Manhattan US Attorney Damian Williams stated that these scams can have devastating financial and emotional consequences for vulnerable victims.
Hajia4Reall’s lawyer informed The Newyork Post that she pleaded not guilty to the charges. Furthermore, she is expected to be released in the coming days on a $500,000 bond, with GPS tracking through an ankle monitor.
Prosecutors allege that Montrage was part of a criminal conspiracy involving fraudsters from Ghana and Nigeria.
The scammers assumed false identities to create fake romantic relationships with their victims. They did this through emails, text messages, and social media interactions. The victims were then deceived into transferring money under false pretences, such as assisting with moving gold from overseas or resolving fictitious FBI investigations.
Court documents claim that Hajia4Reall duped one victim into sending her $89,000 through 82 wire transfers, purportedly for her father’s farm in Ghana. Additionally, she allegedly provided the victim with a tribal marriage certificate to create the illusion of marriage.
Furthermore, prosecutors state that Montrage received money from several other victims who were swindled by scammers in her network. She has also been charged with wire fraud, money laundering, receipt of stolen money and conspiracy. All of these could lead to a maximum prison sentence of 20 years if convicted on the top charge.
Hajia4Reall’s lawyer, Adam Cortez, mentioned that there are six alleged victims. However, only two involved a woman and only one of them claims to have dealt with Montrage directly. Cortez stated that he cannot provide further comments until he receives more information and evidence from prosecutors.
