Ghanaian Man Jailed for $2M Romance and Investment Fraud in the US.
A 34-year-old Ghanaian national, Wigbert Bandie, has been sentenced to 63 months in a U.S. federal prison for leading a wire fraud scheme that defrauded elderly victims of over $2 million. The sentencing was handed down on November 26, 2024, by Judge Thomas A. Varlan in Knoxville, Tennessee.The scheme involved Bandie and accomplices using fake identities on social media and dating platforms to build trust with victims before soliciting funds under false pretenses. Victims were either tricked into providing "emergency financial help" or investing in fake opportunities.One East Tennessee victim lost over $280,000, with others across the U.S. suffering losses ranging from thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars. Bandie’s co-conspirators acted as "money mules," helping transfer the stolen funds to overseas accounts.Bandie was also ordered to pay $2.18 million in restitution to his 11 victims and will serve three […]
