A Ghanaian national, Frederick Kumi, aka Emmanuel Kojo Baah Obeng, aka Abu Trica, a popular socialite, has been arrested in Ghana by a joint security team including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Ghana Police Service, for online fraud against American citizens.
A federal grand jury returned a 2-count indictment charging Swedru-based Abu Trica with defrauding elderly victims out of over $8 million.
According to a recently unsealed indictment, the 31-year-old Abu Trica was part of a criminal network that targeted elderly victims in romance scams across the United States since 2023.
Abu Trica was arrested in Ghana on December 11, 2025.
According to the indictment, perpetrators of this romance scam used Artificial Intelligence software to assume false identities and form close personal relationships with victims.
They gained victims’ trust to obtain money and valuables, often targeting individuals through social media and online dating platforms under false pretences.
Victims were often elderly and engaged in romantic but physically distant relationships with perpetrators. The perpetrators built trust through frequent, intimate conversations by phone, email, and messaging platforms.
They then requested money or valuables under false pretences, such as urgent medical needs, travel expenses, or investment opportunities. Relying on these misrepresentations, victims were persuaded to send funds or valuables, which were then directed to co-conspirators posing as third parties.
The indictment also alleges that after the victims transferred funds, Abu Trica worked with a network of co-conspirators to distribute the money from Ohio and across the United States to associates in the Republic of Ghana and other locations.
Known for his public display of opulence and wealth, Abu Trica has been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering conspiracy, and a forfeiture specification, and faces up to 20 years in prison.
If convicted, a defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after a review of factors unique to this case, including a defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, his role in the offence, and the characteristics of the violation. The case forms part of the Elder Justice Initiative under the Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act of 2017, which targets scams, fraud and financial exploitation directed at older Americans.
