A Ghanaian social media influencer accused of helping run an $8 million romance scam targeting elderly Americans has been extradited to the United States to face trial.
Frederick Kumi, widely known online as Abu Trica, was flown to the US on Thursday after his arrest in Ghana during a joint operation with American authorities last year. He denies all charges.
US prosecutors allege that Kumi used artificial intelligence tools to create fake online identities and target victims through social media platforms and dating websites. The alleged scheme involved gaining the trust of elderly Americans through frequent and intimate conversations before persuading them to send money or valuables under false pretences.
Prosecutors say victims were told the funds were needed for emergencies such as medical treatment, travel costs or investment opportunities. The money was allegedly routed through associates posing as third parties before being distributed to Kumi’s alleged co-conspirators in both the US and Ghana.
Kumi faces charges including conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering. If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in prison.
His extradition has triggered a legal dispute in Ghana. Kumi’s lawyer, Oliver Barker-Vormawor, said he went to court on Thursday in an attempt to halt the extradition, only to learn soon afterward that his client had already been placed on a Delta Airlines flight to the US.
Barker-Vormawor accused the Ghanaian government of bypassing judicial oversight and said the extradition raised serious constitutional concerns.
Ghana’s government rejected the accusation, insisting that due process had been followed. Justice Minister and Attorney General Dominic Ayeni said a court had already dismissed a habeas corpus application filed on Kumi’s behalf, clearing the way for authorities to seek a surrender warrant from the Interior Ministry.
Kumi had attracted public attention in Ghana for flaunting luxury cars, cash and high-end properties online to more than 100,000 Instagram followers, prompting questions about the source of his wealth.
He is from Swedru, a town in southern Ghana. His exact age remains disputed, with his lawyer saying he is 28, while US prosecutors list him as 31.
The case is being pursued under US laws aimed at combating elder abuse and financial exploitation.
American authorities have recently intensified efforts to dismantle fraud networks operating between the US and West Africa, particularly schemes targeting older victims.
Last week, another Ghanaian national, Joseph Kwadwo Badu Boateng, popularly known as Dada Joe Remix, pleaded guilty in the US to using romance and inheritance scams to defraud Americans.
In a separate case in December, Nigerian fraud ringleader Oluwaseun Adekoya was sentenced by a US court to 20 years in prison for laundering more than $2 million through bank fraud and money-laundering conspiracies.