Ghanaian socialite Hajia 4Real may have violated her bail conditions by going live on TikTok and Instagram, despite being arrested and extradited to the US several months ago.
In November 2022, Miss Montrage was arrested for her involvement in a romance scam that amounted to over $2 million. Subsequently, Hajia 4 Real faced charges of money laundering, wire fraud, and conspiracy. She was granted bail but under strict conditions.
However, by going live on TikTok and Instagram to make a statement about her freedom, she may have breached some of her bail conditions, which could result in a prison sentence of at least 20 years.
Federal authorities reported on May 15, 2023, that Hajia 4Real is accused of defrauding older, single American individuals through a heart-wrenching lonely hearts scam.
During her appearance in Manhattan federal court, the singer of “The Badder Than” pleaded not guilty. She was subsequently released under home detention, wearing an ankle monitor with GPS tracking and with a $500,000 bond.
Wearing the ankle monitor with GPS monitoring was one of the conditions of her release. However, by going live on TikTok and Instagram, she violated these bail conditions, as she was not allowed to make any public appearances or statements, whether virtually or physically, until after her court proceedings.
This suggests that although Hajia 4Real intended to interact with her fans, she may have jeopardized her situation by breaking her bail conditions. This could result in stricter penalties, including the confiscation of her electronic devices and the prohibition of her accessing social media platforms.
Hajia 4Real, who is currently under house arrest at her aunt’s residence in New Jersey, appears to have violated her bail conditions by going live on social media.#Hajia4Real pic.twitter.com/k8gXlQfXsb
— Blinkscoop (@Blinkscoop1) June 27, 2023
Background
According to federal investigators, Montrage was part of a network of fraudsters from Ghana and Nigeria. She gained popularity through her highly followed Instagram profile, Hajia4Reall, which had reached 3.4 million followers at its peak.
These individuals utilized deceptive tactics and fabricated identities to create an illusion of romantic relationships with their victims through emails, texts, and social media conversations.
Manhattan US Attorney Damian Williams stated, “Mona Faiz Montrage was a member of a criminal conspiracy that specifically targeted older Americans through romance scams. These scams can have devastating financial and emotional consequences for vulnerable victims.”
He added, “Thanks to the efforts of our law enforcement partners, Montrage was arrested abroad and has been brought to the United States to face justice.”
According to court documents, in one particular case, Hajia 4Real allegedly convinced a victim to wire her a staggering amount of $89,000 through 82 wire transfers, claiming it was for her father’s farm in Ghana.
The documents also mention that Hajia went to great lengths to solidify the illusion of a marital status by sending the victim a fabricated tribal marriage certificate, in addition to numerous phone calls using her real name.
Prosecutors further allege that the mother of one received funds from multiple victims who fell prey to the scams orchestrated by her network of fraudsters.
Montrage managed to accumulate approximately $2 million, which she subsequently deposited into various bank accounts, including one registered under the name of 4Reall Designs, a fictitious apparel company.
The stolen funds, as indicated in the indictment, were later laundered to other individuals involved in the criminal operation.
It’s worth mentioning that on November 10, 2022, there was a news report regarding her arrest in the United Kingdom and her initial sentencing, which was later refuted by her team.
