TikTok fraud suspects granted GH¢3m bail over fake celebrity accounts

Five people accused of using fake TikTok accounts in the names of well-known Ghanaians to defraud members of the public have been granted bail by the High Court in Accra.

The court, presided over by Justice Halimah El-Alawa Abdul-Baasit, granted each accused person bail in the sum of GH¢600,000 with two justified sureties.

The total bail sum is GH¢3 million.

The accused persons have also been ordered to report to the police every week until the case is finally determined.

Prosecutors say the suspects created and operated several social media accounts using the names of public figures, including Lordina Mahama, Ibrahim Mahama, John Dumelo, Asamoah Gyan and Twum Barima.

They are alleged to have used the accounts to convince people that they could receive large sums of money, including foreign currency, after downloading an application known as Trust Wallet.

Victims were then allegedly asked to pay money for activation codes or access to the supposed funds.

According to the prosecution, the scheme generated more than GH¢500,000 from unsuspecting victims.

The accused persons before the court are a juvenile whose name has been withheld, Ahmed Mensah, 24; Ebenezer Ato Mensah, 25; Bernard Mensah, 30; and Blessed Sam, 22.

The juvenile, Ahmed Mensah, Ebenezer Ato Mensah and Bernard Mensah have been charged with defrauding by false pretence under Section 131 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960, Act 29.

Blessed Sam has pleaded not guilty to a charge of falsely obtaining an electronic payment medium under Section 119 of the Electronic Transactions Act, 2008, Act 772.

The prosecution said all the accused persons are unemployed and live at Ayensudo in the Central Region.

According to the case presented in court, investigations showed that the alleged operation had been running since 2024 on TikTok and other online platforms.

Some of the fake accounts named by the prosecution include handles purporting to belong to Ibrahim Mahama, Lordina Mahama, Asamoah Gyan, John Dumelo and Twum Barima.

Investigators also allege that the suspects created email addresses to support the impersonation and make the accounts appear credible to victims.

The prosecution said money collected from victims was transferred into mobile money accounts allegedly controlled by the accused persons.

It further alleged that the proceeds were used for personal purposes, including the construction of a house and the purchase of a vehicle, a motorbike and mobile phones.

The accused persons were arrested on March 31, 2026.

Prosecutors said they admitted in their caution statements to creating the fraudulent accounts and collecting money from members of the public under false pretences.

Investigations are still ongoing.