A Ghanaian national has pleaded guilty in the United States to his role in an international fraud ring that used online romance scams and business email compromises to steal millions of dollars from victims.
Derrick Van Yeboah, also known as “Van”, admitted before a United States District Court in New York that he participated in a scheme that targeted vulnerable individuals, many of them elderly, through fraudulent online relationships.
The United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced the guilty plea in a statement on Thursday, March 5, 2026.
“Derrick Van Yeboah pled guilty today to a massive criminal scheme targeting elderly men and women in online romance scams,” Mr Clayton said.
He added that many victims had turned to online platforms in search of companionship but were instead defrauded.
“Many New Yorkers search for companionship online, and no one deserves to have their vulnerability met with fraud and theft. Van Yeboah cruelly exploited those vulnerabilities for over $10 million in illicit profit.”
According to prosecutors, Van Yeboah was part of a criminal organisation primarily based in Ghana that carried out romance scams and business email compromise operations against individuals and businesses across the United States.
Investigators said members of the group created fake online identities and used them to build relationships with victims, convincing them that they were involved in genuine romantic partnerships.
Once the victims had developed trust in the supposed partners, the fraudsters persuaded them to transfer money or to help move funds obtained from other victims.
Authorities said the scheme extended beyond individuals to include businesses that were tricked through compromised email accounts into transferring large sums of money to accounts controlled by the criminal network.
In total, prosecutors said the conspiracy stole and laundered more than $100 million from dozens of victims, with the proceeds later moved to West Africa.
Van Yeboah personally carried out many of the romance scams by posing as fictitious romantic partners in communications with victims. He is being held responsible for more than $10 million that he obtained through the fraudulent scheme.
The 40-year-old pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, an offence that carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison under United States law.
He has also agreed to pay restitution and forfeiture amounting to $10,149,429.17.
However, prosecutors said the maximum sentence is set by law for reference and that the final punishment will be determined by the presiding judge.
Van Yeboah is scheduled to be sentenced by US District Judge Arun Subramanian on June 3, 2026.
The US Attorney’s Office said the investigation was carried out by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, while authorities also acknowledged assistance from Ghana and the United States Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs.
The case is being prosecuted by the Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit of the US Attorney’s Office, with Assistant US Attorneys Kevin Mead and Mitzi Steiner leading the prosecution.
Comments