Mona Faiz Montrage, popularly known as Hajia4reall, has been sentenced to one year and one day in prison for her involvement in a series of romance scams. The extra day in her sentence is to ensure eligibility for “good time” credits. Montrage, who pleaded guilty on February 21 in Manhattan Federal Court to conspiracy to receive stolen money, was found to have controlled bank accounts that received over $2 million in fraudulent funds.
These scams were elaborate and heartless. Montrage, along with her co-conspirators, deceived their victims by fabricating stories that included moving gold to the U.S., resolving supposed FBI investigations, and providing financial help to U.S. Army officers in Afghanistan. Her ill-gotten gains were funneled into her Bronx bank accounts before being wired to her native Ghana. One particularly tragic case involved an elderly victim who was tricked into sending $89,000 through 82 wire transfers, believing she was helping Montrage’s father’s farm in Ghana. To further deceive this victim, Montrage sent a tribal marriage certificate, making them believe they were married after a series of phone conversations.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Damian Williams emphasized the emotional and financial devastation these scams caused, particularly to elderly and vulnerable individuals who were cruelly betrayed. Following her prison term, Montrage’s defense has proposed that she be allowed to return to Ghana without ICE detention, a motion to which the AUSA consented.