Ghanaian social media personality, Mona Faiz Montrage, popularly known as Hajia4Reall alias God’s Child is in the news once again for pleading guilty in a $2 million romance scam case.
According to the United States Attorney’s Office website, the socialite pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to receive stolen money.
Hajia4Reall’s charge carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
Hajia4Reall also agreed to pay forfeiture for $2,164,758.41 and make restitution in the same amount.
The social media personality is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge, Paul A. Crotty later.
In less than 24 hours after the breaking news of Hajia4Reall pleading guilty to the romance scam case, previous videos of her encouraging young ladies to work hard, pray more, be determined and the need to focus on life surfaced on social media.
Hajia 4Real? “That remembers me, you know” pic.twitter.com/TNntsKhjx7
— Headless YouTuber (@HeadlessYouTube) February 21, 2024
Hajia 4real advises Ghanaian Ladies https://t.co/boFikz4pwu
— Twilight (@the_marcoli_boy) February 21, 2024
The videos have left netizens very distraught as they perceive Hajia4Reall’s videos as misleading to young ladies after her dubious act came to the limelight.
Some of the netizens commenting on Hajia4Reall’s motivational videos on X, formerly known as Twitter wrote;
She didnt lie, shes hard working, shes determined. She is reaping what she sow. The only issue is that she was working hard in a criminal way, she was determined to do crime.
— Rev Lucky (@Rev_soglo) February 21, 2024
People who didn’t suffer before making money give the best advice smh
— Mrr.Johnson 🇬🇭 🇳🇬 (@jjkariey) February 21, 2024
The way she was all over acting like we were the lazy ones makes me angry. Olosho who is also a fraudster was going around fooling in this country
— Laud Carter IV (@Bizontw3) February 22, 2024
And you think the fraud doesn’t require hardwork and determination? Dey play 😀
— Sika mp3 dede (@Kevlar__Gh) February 21, 2024
The work hard phrase ankasa e no get value again, even blood money fuo will tell u na God and hard work.
— Rex Agezo (@AgezoRex) February 22, 2024
I dnt want to judge her but she is reaping what she sowed. Asap
— rudy🇬🇭 (@rudy_klodns) February 22, 2024
The United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Damian Williams, who announced the guilty plea said; “Mona Faiz Montrage knowingly received money stolen from older Americans through romance scams and was arrested abroad and now faces serious consequences for her actions.”
He insisted that the romance scam harmed vulnerable, elderly victims who had to face the tough reality that their romantic connections online were fake.
“This Office and our law enforcement partners are relentless in bringing fraudsters who target Americans to justice, no matter where they are,” the Attorney added.
It will be recalled that Hajia4Reall was extradited to the United States from the United Kingdom over her alleged involvement in a $2 million romance scam locally called ‘sakawa’ targeting older, single Americans, in May 2023.
Prosecutors said she was charged with conspiracy to commit and committing wire fraud and money laundering, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment.
She was also charged with receipt of stolen money, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in jail, and conspiracy to receive stolen money, with a maximum of five years.
Currently, the social media influencer has deactivated all her social media accounts.
