A Ghanaian lady identified as Whitney Adams has landed in the grip of the FBI for helping scammers in Ghana to fraud their victims abroad.

According to U.S court documents with case number 1:22-mj-01123, Whitney who lives between Ghana and America has helped Ghanaian fraudsters to scam people. From a series of fraudulent activities online, they have made over $6 million from their operations.

“From a time unknown, but by at least July 2018, and through April 7, 2022, in the District of Arizona, and elsewhere, FLAVIA ANNANG, WHITNEY ADAMS, and their co-conspirators conducted a romance / inheritance scam,” the court document said.

It continued that “unknown co-conspirators created phony online dating profiles and personas to engage in online chats, text messaging, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) calls, and otherwise with unwitting Victims located in the United States in efforts to convince those Victims they were involved in an online romantic relationship with a real person”.

According to the document, “these unwitting Victims were usually elderly or older men. ANNANG’s and ADAMS’ co-conspirators then convinced the Victims to send money to, or on behalf of, those fake romantic partners to collect a fake inheritance that was supposedly due to the romantic partner.

The Victims believed the money was to pay attorney’s fees, customs duties, government fees, taxes, or other expenses related to “releasing” the inheritance and were often told that they would share in the ultimate inheritance or that the receipt of the “inheritance” proceeds would allow the fake romantic partner to join the Victim in the United States.

The co-conspirators provided the Victims with addresses to mail checks to and bank accounts to wire money or deposit checks to, which were controlled by ANNANG, ADAMS, or other co-conspirators. ANNANG, ADAMS, and the co-conspirators then fraudulently transferred and/or kept the Victims’ money and no “inheritance” proceeds were ever remitted in exchange.

So far, Whitney Adams has been identified as an Accra based lady who goes by the nickname Girl Boss. She is known specifically on snapchat for her lavish lifestyle which includes frequenting Dubai for luxurious vacations at 5-star locations.

Whitney’s mother, Flavia Annan who also lives in the U.S was arrested with her daughter and have both been detained whilst their case is being heard in a Maryland court.

Detailing how the mother and her daughter operated to assist their accomplices in Accra, the court document added that “throughout the conspiracy, ANNANG and ADAMS were located in Maryland and traveled to Ghana on occasion. On July 21, 2020, ANNANG was recorded as the Registered Agent for Flavy Merchandising LLC with the Maryland Department of State Business Registration (MDSBR).

On January 11, 2021, ADAMS was recorded as the Registered Agent for McWells Auto Logistics, LLC with the MDSBR. Both ANNANG and ADAMS opened and managed several domestic bank accounts in order to receive and negotiate funds sent by Victims of these fraudulent romance schemes”.

“When ANNANG and ADAMS received Victim funds, they would use their various bank accounts to accept bank wire or bank deposits, or deposit checks received via the mail, and then disperse the funds to other accounts or to locations outside of the United States, all at least in part to conceal the nature, source, and control of those assets”.

According to the FBI report, one of the victims was scammed to pay $283,000 between 2018 to 2020. Another victim is said to have about $5,000,000 between 2015 and 2022 with hope that he was helping his online lover to collect a gold inheritance worth $10,000,000.

“Victim #1, age 67, resides in Sierra Vista, Arizona and fell victim to an inheritance scam in which he believed he was sending money for fees to release an inheritance belonging to his online girlfriend. Bank records show that between July 2018 and June 2020, Victim #1 sent more than $283,000 to various individuals via wire transfers and other means in an unsuccessful effort to claim the inheritance. Victim #1 sent some of his money to Gulit Bonx Enterprise, Inc., in Massachusetts. Examination of Guilt’s bank records showed that Victim #2 also sent money to Gulit”.

The FBI agent who filed the complaint on behalf of the United States, also indicated that “I then interviewed Victim #2 on June 25, 2021, and several times thereafter. Victim #2, age 68, lives in Flagstaff, Arizona. In 2015, Victim #2 was introduced to his friend’s online girlfriend who called herself Stephanie Williams. Williams told Victim #2 her parents died in Ghana leaving a large inheritance of gold bars valued at over $10,000,000. Williams put Victim #2 in contact with people claiming to be attorneys and government representatives who said they would help Williams and Victim #2 obtain the inheritance for a fee. Williams and her associates directed Victim #2 to send money to different people so they could claim the inheritance. Williams promised to share the inheritance with Victim #2 if he made the payments. Between 2015 and 2022, Victim #2 sent over $5,000,000 to different people in an unsuccessful effort to collect the inheritance”.

Read more from the court documents below which was first shared by a snapchat account with the handle @firekorwakyi.

Below are the titles of the documents surrounding the case:

ORDER pursuant to Fed R Crim P 5(f) and the Due Process Protections Act as to Whitney Adams. Signed by Magistrate Judge Matthew James Maddox on 4/13/2022. (cb5s, Deputy Clerk
ORDER OF TEMPORARY DETENTION as to Whitney Adams. Detention Hearing set for 4/15/2022 11:30 AM in Courtroom 7B, 101 West Lombard Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21201, before Magistrate Judge Matthew James Maddox.. Signed by Magistrate Judge Matthew James Maddox on 4/13/2022. (cb5s, Deputy Clerk)
CJA 23 Financial Affidavit by Whitney Adams (cb5s, Deputy Clerk)
Initial Appearance as to Whitney Adams (Defendant informed of Rights.) held on 4/13/2022 before Magistrate Judge Matthew James Maddox.(FTR Gold – Y. Kelly Courtroom 7B) (yks, Deputy Clerk)
Rule 5(c)(3) Documents Received by the District of Arizona as to Whitney Adams(cb5s, Deputy Clerk) ||Attachment Arrest Warrant