COLUMBUS, Ohio — Five suspects are in custody and accused of scamming 130 mostly elderly Americans they met on dating sites out of more than $15 million — then posting images on social media of them living like kings in Ghana.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel traveled to Ohio’s capital city to announce the arrests — an unusual accomplishment in online scam cases.
The quintet will all face federal charges — with their online postings expected to be entered as evidence of how they spent the ill-gotten funds.
Two suspects are shown in a photo posted online wearing shirts that say “Business is Business” while standing in front of a red Lamborghini that they allegedly bought with the loot.
Other images allegedly posted by the conspirators showed off jewelry, luxury handbags, a fleet of expensive cars and a Ghanian mansion surrounded by ramshackle huts.
The suspects also bought a Cybertruck, a Mercedes and a BMW — all of which have been seized, according to authorities.
Other alleged perpetrators are expected to be extradited from the West African country.
The victims were catfished into believing they were forming romantic relationships, before being baited to transfer money.
A 74-year-old man lost $1.1 million after meeting a woman on a dating website. She claimed that she needed the money to obtain diamonds that she had inherited — prompting him to empty his bank accounts to help, before she broke off all contact.
The bust is part of a broader Trump administration focus on fighting fraud — associated with Vice President JD Vance’s “czar” role focused on ripoffs of social safety net programs and frequently emphasizing the impact of misappropriation on those in need.
“As the vice president said, the task force will go after all fraud – no matter how big or small,” a Vance spokesman said. “The vice president’s task force continues to work tirelessly to expose fraud and ensure that the most vulnerable in our society do not fall victim to fraudsters.”
