Ghanaian woman, Whitney Adams, popularly known on Snapchat as ‘Girl Boss’ and her mother, Flavia Annang, have been nabbed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for their involvement in fraudulent operations amounting to over 6 million US dollars.
An official statement from the United States security organisation detailed how the two, who live between Ghana and America, have been helping criminals in Ghana to scam US citizens.
According to the statements, the suspects created online dating profiles to lure their victims in romance scams and inheritance scams. Victims were usually older men i
The victims were deceived to send money to, or on behalf of, those fake romantic partners to collect a fake inheritance that was supposedly due to the romantic partner.
From a time unknown, but by at least July 2018, and through April 7, 2022, in the District of Arizona, and elsewhere, FLAVIA ANNANG, WHITNEY ADAMS, and their co-conspirators conducted a romance/inheritance scam.
Unknown co-conspirators created phony online dating profiles and personas to engage in online chats, text messaging, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) calls, and otherwise with unwitting Victims located in the United States in efforts to convince those Victims they were involved in an online romantic relationship with a real person.
These unwitting Victims were usually elderly or older men. ANNANG’s and ADAMS’ co-conspirators then convinced the Victims to send money to, or on behalf of, those fake romantic partners to collect a fake inheritance that was supposedly due to the romantic partner.
The Victims believed the money was to pay attorney’s fees, customs duties, government fees, taxes, or other expenses related to “releasing” the inheritance and were often told that they would share in the ultimate inheritance or that the receipt of the “inheritance” proceeds would allow the fake romantic partner to join the Victim in the United States.
The co-conspirators provided the Victims with addresses to mail checks to and bank accounts to wire money or deposit checks to, which were controlled by ANNANG, ADAMS, or other co-conspirators. ANNANG, ADAMS, and the co-conspirators then fraudulently transferred and/or kept the Victims’ money and no “inheritance” proceeds were ever remitted in exchange.”
Below is the statement: