Popular Influencer, Abu Trica Arrested, Accused Of Using AI To Scam Elderly Americans Of $8Million

A Ghanaian social media influencer known for showcasing wads of cash, luxury cars, and opulent mansions has been arrested in Accra for allegedly orchestrating a sophisticated romance-fraud scheme that defrauded elderly Americans of over $8 million.

The suspect, 31-year-old Frederick Kumi, popularly known online as Abu Trica, and also identified as Emmanuel Kojo Baah Obeng, was picked up in a joint operation between Ghanaian security agencies and US federal authorities.

BBC reports that American prosecutors have filed charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money-laundering conspiracy, offences that each carry prison terms of up to 20 years if found guilty.

According to US investigators, Kumi allegedly deployed advanced AI tools to craft fake identities, complete with convincing photographs and detailed backstories, which he used to lure vulnerable seniors on social media and dating platforms.

Once trust was established, prosecutors said, the victims were manipulated through frequent, intimate conversations and eventually pressured to send money under false emergency claims ranging from medical bills to travel expenses.

The funds were allegedly routed through a network of accomplices in both the US and Ghana, with Kumi reportedly taking a central role in distributing the proceeds.

Authorities said suspicions intensified after the influencer began showcasing unexplained luxury assets to his more than 100,000 Instagram followers, prompting financial-crime investigators to dig deeper.

The prosecutors said the “perpetrators built trust through frequent, intimate conversations by phone, email, and messaging platforms" with victims.

"They then requested money or valuables under false pretences, such as urgent medical needs, travel expenses, or investment opportunities,” they said.

The funds and other valuables were reportedly funnelled to co-conspirators who posed as third-party recipients. Kumi allegedly shared the proceeds among his associates both in the United States and Ghana.

The case is being brought under the U.S. Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act.

In recent months, U.S. authorities have intensified efforts to dismantle criminal networks in the U.S. and West Africa that target elderly Americans.

In July, another Ghanaian suspect, known popularly as Dada Joe Remix, was extradited to the United States over allegations he used romance and inheritance schemes to swindle American victims.

Earlier this month, a U.S. court sentenced Oluwaseun Adekoya, a Nigerian national of a nationwide bank-fraud and money-laundering ring, to 20 years in prison for laundering more than $2 million.