Frederick Kumi Extradited to US Over Alleged $8 Million Romance Scam

3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jul 10

Frederick Kumi, a Ghanaian influencer known as Abu Trica, was flown from Accra to the United States on Thursday to face federal fraud and money-laundering charges.
U.S. prosecutors say Kumi was part of a network that used fake online identities—sometimes built with AI—to romance older Americans and extract money for supposed medical, travel or investment needs.
The December indictment alleges the scheme stole more than $8 million from victims between April 2023 and late 2025, then routed proceeds from Ohio and elsewhere in the U.S. to Ghana and other destinations.
Kumi denies the allegations, while his lawyer says he was extradited before a Ghana court challenge was resolved; Ghana's attorney general, cited by the BBC, said that challenge had already been dismissed.
If convicted, Kumi faces up to 20 years in prison in a case that fits a broader U.S. crackdown on elder-targeted romance fraud run from abroad.