What’s new: Four Ghanaian nationals have been extradited to the U.S. and charged for their involvement in a fraud ring that stole over $100 million through romance scams and business email compromise attacks. The defendants, identified as Isaac Oduro Boateng, Inusah Ahmed, Derrick Van Yeboah, and Patrick Kwame Asare, were part of a scheme targeting vulnerable individuals and businesses from 2016 to May 2023.
Who’s affected
Individuals, particularly older men and women living alone, as well as businesses in the U.S. that were targeted through fraudulent email communications.
What to do
- Increase awareness among employees about business email compromise tactics and implement verification processes for financial transactions.
- Educate vulnerable populations about the risks of online romance scams and encourage reporting of suspicious communications.
- Monitor financial accounts for unauthorized transactions and report any suspicious activity to law enforcement.
