Influential Ghanaian musician and socialite Mona Faiz Montrage, popularly known as Hajia4Real, has been extradited to the US and charged with $2m ($1.6m) romance scam.

The criminal enterprise she allegedly belonged to targeted lonely American men and women and in one instance pretended to be married to one victim to further her scheme.

The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) in a statement indicated she had been charged with several counts, including conspiracy to commit fraud and money laundering.

She could receive a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment for each count if found guilty.

She was also charged with conspiracy to receive and receipt of stolen money, which carry maximum sentences of five and 10 years respectively.

The 30-year-old, was arrested on 10 November last year in the UK and extradited to the US on Friday.

She pleaded not guilty to all charges when she appeared before a judge on Monday.

US authorities have expressed concern about romance scams targeting older individuals and expressed the need to hold perpetrators to account.

It's alleged that she was involved with a group of con artists from West Africa who assumed fake identities to trick people into thinking they were in relationships with them using emails, texts and social media messages between 2013 and 2019.

She is being charged with wire fraud, money laundering, receipt of stolen money and conspiracy. She faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

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