Ghanaian influencer and musician Mona Faiz Montrage, popularly known as Hajia4Reall, is scheduled for release today from a U.S. federal prison, marking the end of her one-year incarceration over her role in a high-profile international romance fraud scheme.
Montrage, 32, became a central figure in a West African criminal network that targeted elderly Americans in elaborate online scams. Her release from the Federal Detention Center in Philadelphia on May 22, 2025, follows her conviction for conspiracy to receive stolen money—a charge she pleaded guilty to in February 2024.
Once a social media sensation with over 3.4 million followers on Instagram, Montrage was arrested in the UK and extradited to the U.S. in May 2023. Authorities said she played an active role in defrauding at least 40 victims, manipulating their trust to extract over $2 million. The funds were funneled through U.S. bank accounts she controlled, under fabricated stories involving gold shipments, fictitious FBI investigations, and stranded military officers.
While she was sentenced to one year and a day in prison by U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken in June 2024, the judge also imposed three years of supervised release. Montrage was ordered to forfeit $216,475 and pay $1.38 million in restitution to her victims.
Her legal team successfully proposed a return plan to Ghana, with the court acknowledging her intent to rebuild her life and “contribute meaningfully to society.”
Montrage’s impending return is expected to spark public debate in Ghana, as questions loom over reintegration, accountability, and the influence of social media fame in modern-day financial crimes.
