Frederick Kumi, a prominent Ghanaian social media influencer known as Abu Trica, has been arrested on charges related to a romance scam that allegedly defrauded elderly Americans of more than $8 million (£5.9 million).
Prosecutors alleged that Kumi utilized artificial intelligence tools to create fictitious online personas, targeting victims through social media and dating platforms. He reportedly gained their trust before extorting significant sums of money from them.
Kumi is facing charges in the United States for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering, with a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
The 31-year-old was apprehended in Ghana as a result of a collaborative operation between Ghanaian authorities and U.S. law enforcement, which is now pursuing his extradition.
Kumi, who is also known as Emmanuel Kojo Baah Obeng, flaunted luxury items online to his more than 100,000 Instagram followers. This raised suspicions about the sources of his income.
He has not yet commented on the allegations.
