Huntington, WV (WOAY) – Cabell County officials have sentenced Banabas Ganidekam, 25, of Ghana, to three years of federal probation, including eight months of home detention with electronic monitoring. Courts have also ordered Ganidekam to pay $156,073 in restitution for wire fraud.
According to court documents and statements, Ganidekam admitted to his role in the fraudulent romance scheme, receiving approximately $189,404 from 14 victims for various false reasons. Victims include a woman who sent Ganidekam thousands of dollars under the guise of a false persona she believed to be her boyfriend between January and February 2020.
Additionally, Ganidekam admitted to receiving the fraudulent funds through his Ohio bank account, where he lived at the time, through wire transfers and personal/cashier’s checks. Ganidekam further admitted to transferring portions of the money to Huntington and keeping funds for himself while forwarding some to others in the United States and abroad.
If you or someone you know is 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). The hotline is open 10 am-6 pm Eastern Time, Monday-Friday. English, Spanish, and other languages are available.
