Entertainment
Hajia4Reall pleads guilty to receiving fraud proceeds from romance scams
Ghanaian Socialite, Mona Faiz Montrage, popularly known as Hajia4Reall, has pleaded guilty in a $2 million romance scam case.
According to the United States Attorney’s Office website, Hajia4Reall pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to receive stolen money.
She also agreed to pay forfeiture in the amount of $2,164,758.41 and make restitution in the same amount.
Montrage is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Paul A. Crotty.
Montrage 31, of Accra, Ghana, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to receive stolen money, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced the guilty plea today of Mona Faiz Montrage for her role in laundering the proceeds of a series of romance scams.
He said Mona pleaded guilty on Wednesday February 21, to conspiracy to receive stolen money before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah L. Cave.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams 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. Romance scams such as Montrage’s harmed her vulnerable, elderly victims not only in the cruel betrayal of trust in the realisation that their online romantic connection was fiction, but by also callously stealing their money. This Office and our law enforcement partners are relentless in bringing fraudsters who target Americans to justice, no matter where they are.”
As alleged in the Indictment and statements made in public filings and public court proceedings:
According to the facts of the case, from at least in or about 2013 through in or about 2019, MONTRAGE was a member of a criminal enterprise (the “Enterprise”) based in West Africa that committed a series of frauds against individuals and businesses in the U.S., including romance scams.
It added that many of the Enterprise’s romance scam victims were vulnerable, older men and women who lived alone.
” The Enterprise frequently conducted the romance scams by sending the victims emails, text messages, and social media messages that deceived the victims into believing that they were in romantic relationships with a person who was, in fact, a fake identity assumed by members of the Enterprise. Once members of the Enterprise had successfully convinced victims that they were in a romantic relationship and had gained their trust, they convinced the victims, under false pretenses, to transfer money to bank accounts the victims believed were controlled by their romantic interests, when, in fact, the bank accounts were controlled by members of the Enterprise,” it added.
Montrage is a Ghanaian Socialite who rose to fame as an influencer through her Instagram profile under the username “Hajia4Reall,” which at one point had approximately 3.4 million Instagram followers and was among the top 10 profiles with the most followers in Ghana.
MONTRAGE received money from several victims of romance frauds who members of the Enterprise tricked into sending money. Among the false pretenses used to induce victims to send money to MONTRAGE were payments to transport gold to the U.S. from overseas payments to resolve a fake FBI investigation, and payments to assist a fake U.S. Army officer in receiving funds from Afghanistan.
In total, MONTRAGE controlled bank accounts that received over $2 million in fraudulent funds from the Enterprise.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Entertainment
TGMA unveils nominees this Saturday
The air is electric in Ghana’s music scene as the long-anticipated nominee announcement for the 26th Telecel Ghana Music Awards (TGMA) is nearly here.
Music lovers should mark their calendars for Saturday, March 15, when the nominees will be revealed live on TV3 and across the Ghana Music Awards official social media channels.
This year’s nominations promise to be some of the most competitive yet. After weeks of submissions and meticulous deliberations, music fans across the country will finally learn which artists and groups will be contending for the highly coveted awards.
The Road to the Nominees Announcement
It all began on January 21, 2025, when nominations officially opened for the TGMA. Artists and groups had until 16th February to submit their works released between January 1, and December 31, 2024.
The response was nothing short of phenomenal, with over 1,500 entries pouring in from more than 130 talented artists and groups—a true testament to the dynamic and ever-growing nature of Ghana’s music industry.
The Deliberation Process
Once the deadline passed, an expert panel of industry insiders and stakeholders rolled up their sleeves for the daunting task of sifting through the entries.
The review process was thorough, with each submission evaluated based on a set of specific criteria to ensure only the most deserving artists and groups made it onto the shortlist.
The final selections were validated by the TGMA board and key industry players, ensuring transparency and fairness every step of the way.
The Big 5 Categories: The Showstoppers
While every category brings its own set of thrills, the Big 5 awards are the ultimate crown jewels. These prestigious categories will be revealed live on TV3 on Saturday, 15th March, it includes; Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Telecel Most Popular Song, New Artiste and Artiste of the Year.
The Telecel Ghana Music Awards: Celebrating Excellence
The Telecel Ghana Music Awards play an essential role in showcasing and celebrating the best of Ghana’s musical talent. By recognizing excellence, the awards inspire artists to reach new creative heights while fueling the growth of the industry.
They also serve as a unifying force, bringing together artists, industry leaders, and music lovers in a shared celebration of Ghanaian music.
With Ghana’s top artists and groups battling it out for the prestigious honors, the anticipation is at an all-time high. As the music industry continues to evolve, the TGMA remains a true benchmark of excellence.
Entertainment
Ghana need industry bank to fund talents — Rocky Jigga
Ghanaian UK-based afrobeat singer, Emmanuel Rocky Gyeniaw Jnr known in entertainment circles as Rocky Jigga has expressed the need for an industry bank to fund talents.
According to him, this will help Ghanaian musicians to compete effectively with their foreign counterparts.
Rocky Jigga believes that many talented musicians have coiled back into their shells due to funding challenges.
“There’s more room for improvement. The industry needs more investors from both the government and private sector at large. We need an industry bank that funds talents, events and everything entertaining,” he said.
Rocky Jigga recently released ‘Slow Down,’ featuring Ball J.
The song which came with its video was produced by B Boat and it emphasised a man’s preference for an ideal woman irrespective of the size.
