A Ghanaian woman living in the United States has been sentenced to 70 months in federal prison for her involvement in a sophisticated romance scam that swindled victims across the country out of more than $1.6 million.

Nana Takyiwa Adonu, 43, of Odenton, Maryland, was sentenced on July 22, 2026, by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa after investigators linked her to a criminal network that targeted vulnerable individuals through online dating platforms and social media.

According to court records, members of the conspiracy created fake online identities to establish romantic relationships with unsuspecting victims before persuading them to send large sums of money under false pretences.

Authorities said Adonu helped facilitate the fraud by operating Han-Dak LLC, a shell company used to receive and process money sent by victims. Many of those targeted believed they were financially assisting genuine romantic partners and ended up losing substantial portions of their savings.

The financial and emotional impact on victims was severe. Court documents revealed that some emptied retirement accounts, sold their homes and vehicles, returned to work after retirement, and borrowed heavily from relatives and friends to continue sending money to the scammers. One victim in Iowa alone lost more than $55,000.

Investigators also found that Adonu attempted to obstruct the federal investigation. After being questioned by the FBI, she falsely claimed Han-Dak LLC was a legitimate garment manufacturing business operating in China. She later submitted fabricated invoices and customer records in response to a federal grand jury subpoena in an effort to conceal the fraudulent operation.

In addition to her 70-month prison sentence, the court ordered Adonu to pay $1,655,640.76 in restitution to victims. She will also serve three years of supervised release after completing her prison term.

Her co-defendant, Naabanyin Aniagyei-Cobbold, was sentenced in March 2026 to 108 months in federal prison and was ordered to pay more than $1.5 million in restitution.

Commenting on the case, Eugene Kowel, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Omaha Field Office, condemned romance scams as particularly harmful because they exploit victims’ emotions.

“Romance scammers exploit victims when they are at their most vulnerable. They prey on innocent people by convincing them a relationship is real, then slowly abuse that trust to steal their life savings. This case is an egregious example of the ruthless persistence exhibited by scammers who enrich themselves at the expense of vulnerable people.”