Ghanaian socialite and influencer Montrage Faiz, widely known as Hajia4Reall, has been sentenced to one year and one day in prison by a U.S. court for her involvement in a romance scam scheme. The sentencing took place on June 28 under the jurisdiction of U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken in New York.
Hajia4Reall, who pled guilty to the charges in February 2024, was implicated in a series of romance scams targeting vulnerable senior citizens. The court heard that over six years, the scheme defrauded 32 victims out of $1.4 million. Prosecutors emphasized the severity of the crime, detailing how victims were misled with promises of marriage and companionship, leading them to send significant sums of money.
Despite a plea from Hajia4Reall’s defense team for a reduced three-month sentence, citing her status as a single mother, the court opted for a longer term. The U.S. Attorney’s Office argued that a lighter sentence would undermine the severity of the crime and fail to act as an effective deterrent. They highlighted that the defendant had actively participated in the scheme and benefited from the fraudulent activities.
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The unique aspect of her sentencing is the absence of an ICE detention order. Typically, non-U.S. citizens face additional detention time post-sentence before deportation. However, in this case, Hajia4Reall will be allowed to return directly to Ghana upon completing her sentence. The extra day in her sentence is designed to account for “good time” credits, which can slightly reduce the length of imprisonment for good behavior.
Hajia4Reall’s journey to this point includes her arrest in the United Kingdom on November 10, 2022, followed by her extradition to the U.S. on May 12, 2023. During her trial, she revealed that she was introduced to internet fraud by the father of her daughter, whom she met and fell in love with in 2015 in the United States.
This case underscores the ongoing challenges and severe consequences associated with romance scams, particularly those exploiting vulnerable individuals. As Hajia4Reall prepares to serve her sentence, her story serves as a stark reminder of the long arm of justice in the face of cybercrime.
