Six Nigerian nationals accused of defrauding more than 100 women in the United States through online romance scams have been extradited from South Africa to the US.
The suspects, who were arrested in Cape Town in 2021, are alleged by South African authorities to be members of the Black Axe organised criminal network. They are wanted by US authorities in connection with allegations of wire fraud and money laundering.
According to South Africa’s Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, known as the Hawks, the suspects allegedly used sophisticated online relationships to gain the trust of their victims before defrauding them of more than R100 million, equivalent to more than $6 million.
The alleged victims included pensioners and businesspeople who were reportedly targeted through online romantic relationships.
South African authorities said the six men were transported from a correctional facility in Cape Town to Cape Town International Airport, where they were handed over to officials from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Secret Service for transfer to the US.
The extradition was facilitated by the Hawks in collaboration with INTERPOL South Africa as part of efforts to tackle transnational organised crime and cyber-enabled financial fraud.
US authorities allege that the suspects were connected to the Black Axe network, which has been linked by international law-enforcement agencies to various forms of cyber-enabled financial crime, including romance, cryptocurrency and investment scams.
The case highlights the increasingly international nature of online romance fraud, in which criminals establish seemingly genuine relationships with victims through dating platforms and social media before requesting money or other financial assistance.
The six suspects are expected to face the allegations against them in the United States, where the case will proceed through the judicial system.
As the allegations have yet to be tested in court, the suspects are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The extradition also underscores growing cooperation between African and international law-enforcement agencies in investigating and prosecuting cybercrime that crosses national borders.
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