What did Hajia4Reall do? Charges explored as Ghanian influencer gets extradited to US over $2M romance scam 

Ghanian Influencer Hajia4Reall was extradited from the United Kindom to the US for swindling over $2 million from a Romance scam. The targets of the scam were older single American men and women. The 30-year-old, whose real name is Mona Faiz Montrage, was arrested in the UK last year on November 10, and deported to the US, on Friday, May 12, 2023.

Montrage, who also goes by Mona 4Reall was allegedly part of a West African con group that tricked vulnerable single people in the US into thinking they were in a relationship by using fake identities. For six years, The con group deceived victims into sending money under false pretenses.

---

The infamous scam by Hajia4Reall spanned from 2013 to 2019

From 2013 to 2019, Hajia4Real and her con group used emails, text messages, and social media texts to get victims to send money to them. The pretenses they used included payments to resolve fictitious FBI unemployment investigations, money to help non-existing US Army officers in Afghanistan, and funds for gold transportation.

Court documents cited one case, where Montrage tricked a victim into thinking they were married using a tribal marriage certificate. She then convinced the individual to send her $89,000 via 82 wire transfers under the sham that the money would aid her father's farm in Ghana.

Prosecutors allege that Hajia4Reall received swindled funds from other scammers in her network. She reportedly made $2 million by exploitation and fraud. Her indictment also charges her with laundering the money to other members of her criminal enterprise.

---

Hajia4Real likely to face up to 20 years in prison

Montrage was charged with six federal charges. These include one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of wire fraud, one count of money laundering conspiracy, one count of money laundering, one count of conspiracy to receive stolen money, and one count of receipt of stolen money.

The first four charges each carry a maximum prison sentence of 20 years. The conspiracy to receive stolen money and receipt of stolen money charges have a maximum sentence of 10 and 5 years, respectively.

All of this adds up to 95 years in prison, which if handed down, means that she will most likely have to spend a maximum of 20 years in prison.

Hajia4Reall and her attorney, Adam Cortez, showed up at Manhattan Federal Court on Monday. The influencer pledged not guilty to the charges and expects to be out on home detention on a bond of $500,000. She will stay at her aunt's residence in New Jersey.

Adam Cortez said in a statement made to the New York Post:

“At this time all we know is that there are six alleged victims and only two dealt with a woman and only one of them claims that he dealt with Ms. Montrage,”

Manhattan US Attorney Damian Williams expressed the impact of the scams on vulnerable victims. He stated:

“These scams can be both financially and emotionally devastating for vulnerable victims.”

Williams thanked the law enforcement partners for their efforts in arresting Montraj abroad and bringing her to the US to face justice.

The prosecutor's office confirmed that Montrage would have her movements restricted to only parts of New York and New Jersey, ensured through GPS tracking via an ankle monitor.