Six Nigerian nationals arrested in South Africa in 2021 are set to be extradited to the United States on Friday to face charges in connection with an alleged online romance scam that defrauded American women of more than $6 million.
South African police confirmed that the men will be handed over to Federal Bureau of Investigation officials at Cape Town International Airport and transported to the U.S. They are accused of being part of a criminal network known as Black Axe. Interpol identifies Black Axe as a group involved in significant global cyber-enabled financial fraud, including romance scams, cryptocurrency scams, and investment scams.
Authorities allege that the six men targeted over 100 women in the U.S., including pensioners and businesspeople, who were allegedly defrauded through sophisticated online relationships.
This extradition follows a recent Interpol operation targeting West African organized crime groups, which resulted in 58 arrests and the identification of 263 suspects linked to various criminal networks. The operation aimed to disrupt money laundering, identify high-value targets, seize assets, and support arrests and prosecutions. In a separate but related action in South Africa, authorities raided seven locations in Johannesburg, arresting 39 individuals and freezing $2.67 million in bank accounts linked to a syndicate that ran romance and investment scams targeting retirees in English-speaking countries.