A New York court has sentenced Derrick Van Yeboah to 85 months (seven years and one month) in prison after convicting him for his role in a romance scam and business email compromise (BEC) scheme that targeted victims across the United States.
According to U.S. prosecutors, the criminal syndicate defrauded victims of more than $100 million, with investigators linking Van Yeboah to over $10 million in losses resulting from romance scams.
In addition to his prison sentence, the court ordered Van Yeboah to forfeit more than $10.1 million. He will also serve a period of supervised release after completing his prison term.
Authorities said the case highlights the growing threat posed by transnational cyber fraud networks, particularly romance scams and business email compromise schemes, which continue to cause significant financial losses worldwide.
Law enforcement agencies have urged the public to exercise caution when interacting with individuals online, especially where financial requests are involved, and to verify all payment instructions before transferring funds.
Read more international and Ghana news on GhanaNews.org.
