Ghanaian pleads guilty in US over $100m online fraud

A Ghanaian man has pleaded guilty in a United States federal court for his role in a large-scale online fraud scheme that defrauded victims across the country of more than $100m.

Derrick Van Yeboah, also known as Van, entered his guilty plea in Manhattan on Thursday before District Judge Arun Subramanian.

US prosecutors said he was involved in a long-running scheme that used fake online identities to deceive mostly older victims into sending money. They said the fraud relied heavily on romance scams, with victims manipulated over time into believing they were in genuine relationships.

According to court documents, members of the network built trust with targets over several months before persuading them to hand over large sums of money. In some cases, victims were also used to move funds linked to other fraudulent activity.

Authorities said Van Yeboah personally took more than $10m from the scheme.

The case also went beyond romance fraud. Investigators said the group used business email compromise tactics to trick US companies into redirecting payments, helping the wider enterprise move more than $100m, much of which was sent to West Africa.

US Attorney Jay Clayton said the operation exploited loneliness and trust for financial gain. He said people looking for companionship online should not become targets for organised fraud.

As part of the plea, Van Yeboah accepted responsibility for $10,149,429.17 and agreed to restitution and forfeiture in that amount.

The investigation was carried out by the FBI and the US Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, with support from the Ghanaian government.

Van Yeboah is due to be sentenced on 3 June 2026. He faces up to 20 years in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud.