In an operation aimed at dismantling transnational romance fraud networks, the United States has unsealed three separate indictments involving Ghanaian national Dada Joe Remix, accused of scamming elderly Americans out of millions through online romance scams and inheritance fraud.
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the charges in conjunction with World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, underscoring a broader campaign to combat elder financial exploitation and wire fraud targeting seniors.
One of the central figures in the indictments is Joseph Kwadwo Badu Boateng, also known as Dada Joe Remix.
Boateng was indicted in the District of Arizona on May 30, 2025, for his alleged role in a decade-long romance and inheritance scam.
According to DOJ documents, Boateng and his co-conspirators deceived victims—primarily elderly Americans—into believing they were entitled to gold and jewel inheritances, which could only be released after paying fake taxes and administrative fees.
Boateng was arrested in Ghana on May 28, 2025, following a U.S. extradition request, and currently awaits transfer to face federal wire fraud and money laundering charges. The FBI is leading the investigation.
In a related indictment filed in the Northern District of Ohio, five additional defendants—Dwayne Asafo Adjei, David Onyinye Abuanekwu, Nancy Adom, Eric Aidoo, and Nader Wasif—were charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering.
The charges allege that, between December 2017 and March 2024, the group orchestrated romantic deception schemes and fraudulent business proposals to swindle seniors in the U.S.
Prosecutors revealed that the suspects laundered the proceeds and redistributed funds to co-conspirators in Ghana and other jurisdictions, exploiting digital platforms to perpetuate the fraud.
“The defendants used a variety of romance scam tactics and advance-fee fraud schemes to defraud vulnerable elderly Americans,” the DOJ said in a statement.
A third indictment, unsealed on May 13 in the same district, implicates Otuo Amponsah, Anna Amponsah, Hannah Adom, Portia Joe, Abdoul Issaka Assimiou, and repeat defendant Dwayne Asafo Adjei. These individuals are also accused of orchestrating romance-based financial fraud and laundering illicit gains derived from fake love interests and fabricated inheritance promises.
The DOJ emphasised that all three cases are part of an ongoing initiative to combat international elder fraud and cyber-enabled financial scams.
“We are seeing a rise in romance fraud schemes that specifically target older, isolated individuals,” said U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Our commitment is to hold perpetrators accountable, both in the U.S. and abroad.”
Authorities noted that these romance scams often begin on dating apps or social media platforms, evolving into elaborate ploys involving fabricated identities, promises of wealth, and relentless financial demands.
All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. However, U.S. federal prosecutors are aggressively pursuing extradition in cooperation with international partners, especially Ghana, which has emerged as a significant hub for internet romance fraud and other transnational scams.
Americans who believe they or their loved ones may be victims of elder romance scams or online financial exploitation are urged to contact the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11, or file a report through the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).