A Ghanaian social media influencer famed for flaunting wads of cash, luxury cars and lavish mansions has been arrested in Accra over allegations he masterminded a sophisticated romance-fraud network that swindled elderly Americans out of more than $8 million.
The suspect, 31-year-old Frederick Kumi, popularly known online as Abu Trica, and also identified as Emmanuel Kojo Baah Obeng, was picked up in a joint operation between Ghanaian security agencies and US federal authorities.
BBC reports that American prosecutors have filed charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money-laundering conspiracy, offences that each carry prison terms of up to 20 years if found guilty.
According to US investigators, Kumi allegedly deployed advanced AI tools to craft fake identities, complete with convincing photographs and detailed backstories, which he used to lure vulnerable seniors on social media and dating platforms.
Once trust was established, prosecutors said, the victims were manipulated through frequent, intimate conversations and eventually pressured to send money under false emergency claims ranging from medical bills to travel expenses.
The funds were allegedly routed through a network of accomplices in both the US and Ghana, with Kumi reportedly taking a central role in distributing the proceeds.
Authorities said suspicions intensified after the influencer began showcasing unexplained luxury assets to his more than 100,000 Instagram followers, prompting financial-crime investigators to dig deeper.
The prosecutors said the “perpetrators built trust through frequent, intimate conversations by phone, email, and messaging platforms" with victims.
"They then requested money or valuables under false pretences, such as urgent medical needs, travel expenses, or investment opportunities,” they said.
The funds and other valuables were reportedly funnelled to co-conspirators who posed as third-party recipients. Kumi allegedly shared the proceeds among his associates both in the United States and Ghana.
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