A Ghanaian socialite, Derrick Van Yeboah, has pleaded guilty in the United States for his role in a large-scale online fraud operation involving romance scams and business email compromise that defrauded victims of more than $100 million.
The 40-year-old admitted on Friday, March 6, to conspiracy to commit wire fraud before Arun Subramanian at the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.
The development was disclosed by Jay Clayton, who said Van Yeboah was a key member of an international fraud network that targeted victims across the United States.
According to Clayton, the scheme largely focused on elderly individuals who were lured into fake online romantic relationships.
“Derrick Van Yeboah pled guilty today to a massive criminal scheme targeting elderly men and women through online romance scams,” Clayton said, adding that many victims were people seeking companionship online and were instead met with fraud and financial loss.
Investigations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation revealed that Van Yeboah was part of a criminal syndicate primarily operating from Ghana. The group used fake identities to build romantic relationships with victims online before persuading them to send money or assist in moving funds obtained from other victims.
In addition to romance scams, the network also carried out business email compromise schemes, tricking companies into transferring money to bank accounts controlled by the group.
Authorities said the criminal organisation stole and laundered more than $100 million from dozens of victims, with much of the proceeds eventually transferred to West Africa.
Investigators further revealed that Van Yeboah personally executed several romance scams by posing as fake romantic partners in online communications with victims. His actions alone were linked to more than $10 million in losses.
Under U.S. law, conspiracy to commit wire fraud carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Van Yeboah has also agreed to pay restitution and forfeiture totaling $10,149,429.17.
He is expected to be sentenced on June 3, 2026.
Alternative Headline:
US Court: Ghanaian Socialite Admits Role in $100m Romance Scam Targeting Elderly Victims.
