Six Nigerians to be extradited from South Africa to US over $6.2m romance scam

JOHANNESBURG — Six Nigerian nationals arrested in South Africa over an alleged online romance scam targeting victims in the United States are set to be extradited to the US on Friday, South African police have announced.

The suspects are accused of belonging to Black Axe, an organised criminal network, and are wanted in the United States over alleged wire fraud and money laundering offences.

South Africa’s elite police unit, the Hawks, said the men were arrested in 2021 following a major operation targeting the alleged fraud network.

Investigators allege that the suspects targeted more than 100 women in the United States and defrauded them of more than R100 million, equivalent to about $6.2 million.

“Among the alleged victims were pensioners and businesspeople who were reportedly targeted through sophisticated online relationships used to defraud them of their money,” Hawks spokeswoman Colonel Katlego Mogale said.

According to Mogale, the six suspects will be transferred to US authorities at Cape Town International Airport, where they will be handed over to officials from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the US Secret Service.

Victims targeted through fake relationships

The case involves a form of cybercrime that has expanded rapidly across international borders, with fraudsters using fake identities and fabricated romantic relationships to gain the confidence of victims.

Criminals typically establish contact through dating websites or social media before manipulating victims into sending money under various pretences.

The Hawks said the alleged victims in the South African case included pensioners and businesspeople in the United States.

The extradition is part of efforts by US and international law enforcement agencies to pursue suspects accused of conducting online financial crimes across borders.

In 2022, Nigerian Instagram influencer Ramon Abbas was sentenced to more than 11 years in prison in the United States after pleading guilty to charges connected to his involvement in an international fraud syndicate.

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