Federal indictments reveal international fraud rings have bilked American citizens and government agencies out of hundreds of millions of dollars through romance scams. The Justice Department announced charges against individuals involved in schemes that defrauded more than 1,000 victims of more than $215 million.
These criminal networks created fake profiles on dating websites and social media platforms, using artificial intelligence to build trust with victims before requesting money under false pretenses.
One scheme specifically targeted the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, siphoning hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars from a government grant account. An indictment against Udugba details how scammers used a profile named James Cowan on the dating site Plenty of Fish to recruit money mules. One mule, identified in court documents as JB, was a Pennsylvania resident who unwittingly transferred illicit funds on the ring's behalf.
A separate operation defrauded more than 100 older Americans of $15 million. That ring also used AI and fake dating profiles to prey on people seeking companionship. One 74-year-old victim sent $1.1 million to a supposed romantic interest who disappeared once the money cleared. The alleged scammers flaunted their gains online, posting images of Lamborghinis and Cybertrucks.
The Justice Department's Northern District of Ohio has been central to the enforcement push. Indictments allege Ghanaian nationals targeted older Americans on dating websites and social media from July 2024 to April 2026. Among those charged are two brothers from Ghana and a woman from the United States, accused of running an international criminal network responsible for more than 1,000 victims and more than $215 million in losses.
The cases expose a recurring vulnerability for older Americans to online financial fraud and show how criminal networks have turned government grant accounts into targets alongside individual victims.
