Renowned Ghanaian socialite Mona Faiz Montrage, widely known as Hajia4Real, has been extradited to the United States and is facing charges related to a $2 million romance scam.
It is alleged that Montrage was involved in a criminal organization based in West Africa that deceived both companies and individuals, primarily through romance scams conducted in the US from 2013 to 2019.
The criminal enterprise she purportedly belonged to targeted vulnerable American men and women, employing tactics such as assuming the identity of a married individual to advance their fraudulent activities.
According to a statement by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), Montrage has been charged with multiple offenses, including conspiracy to commit fraud and money laundering.
Montrage, who boasts an Instagram following of over four million on her page Hajia4Reall, reportedly even simulated a marriage with one of her victims to perpetuate her fraudulent scheme, as claimed by the Justice Department.
If convicted, she could face a maximum prison sentence of 20 years for each count of the charges brought against her.
Additionally, she has been charged with conspiracy to receive and receipt of stolen money, carrying potential sentences of five and ten years respectively.
The 30-year-old socialite was arrested in the United Kingdom on November 10th of the previous year and subsequently extradited to the United States on Friday.
During her appearance before a judge on Monday, she entered a plea of not guilty to all charges.