More than 100 women allegedly fell for this $6m online scam
CAPE TOWN — Six Nigerian nationals accused of using online romance scams to defraud more than 100 American women of over $6 million are being extradited from South Africa to the United States to face wire fraud and money laundering charges.
The men were arrested in Cape Town in 2021 and were due to be handed over on Friday to officials from the FBI and United States Secret Service at Cape Town International Airport. South African police allege the suspects were part of an organised criminal network that targeted victims in the United States through elaborate online relationships before persuading them to transfer money.
Among the alleged victims were pensioners and businesspeople, with authorities putting losses attributed to the romance scams at more than $6 million. The allegations have not yet been tested at trial in the United States.
Police spokesperson Katlego Mogale said Interpol South Africa was coordinating the extradition, with the six being transported from a Cape Town correctional facility to the airport for transfer into US custody. The extradition follows a lengthy legal process.
A Cape Town magistrate ruled in February 2024 that the accused were liable for extradition, while the Western Cape High Court subsequently dismissed an appeal challenging that decision.
The High Court found that the alleged conduct described by US authorities would also constitute offences under South African law, including fraud, cyber fraud and money laundering. The suspects have been linked by authorities to Black Axe, an organised criminal network associated with cyber enabled financial crimes including romance, cryptocurrency and investment scams.
Their extradition comes as international authorities intensify operations against West African cybercrime networks.
Interpol said a recent operation targeting organised crime groups resulted in 58 arrests and identified 263 suspects internationally. In South Africa, authorities arrested 39 people during raids linked to alleged romance and investment scams and froze approximately $2.67 million held in bank accounts.
The six men being extradited have not been convicted of the US charges. Their transfer means they will now face the allegations in American courts, where prosecutors will have to prove the cases against them.
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