Six Nigerian Nationals to be Extradited to U.S. Over $6 Million Romance Scam

Six Nigerian nationals connected to an organized criminal syndicate accused of defrauding American women out of more than $6 million in online romance scams are set to be extradited to the United States on Friday, South African police announced.

The individuals were apprehended in Cape Town in 2021 and are being turned over to Federal Bureau of Investigation agents on Friday before being flown to the U.S. to face criminal charges of wire fraud and money laundering.

Law enforcement officials allege the men belong to Black Axe, a syndicate that Interpol describes as responsible for a major portion of global cyber-enabled financial fraud, including romance schemes, cryptocurrency fraud, and investment scams.

According to South African police, the syndicate targeted over 100 women across the U.S., taking more than $6 million through online love scams.

Those targeted reportedly included pensioners and business executives misled through elaborate online relationships.

"Through the coordination of Interpol South Africa, the six will today be transported from a correctional facility in Cape Town to Cape Town International Airport, where they will be handed over to officials from the FBI and the United States Secret Service, who arrived in South Africa this morning," said police spokesperson Katlego Mogale.

A separate recent law enforcement operation by Interpol targeting West African organized crime groups led to 58 arrests and identified 263 suspects linked to similar illicit networks, the international police agency said last month.

The campaign aimed to disrupt money laundering operations, locate key targets, seize criminal assets, and support arrests and prosecutions.

In South Africa, law enforcement officers raided seven properties across Johannesburg connected to a network operating romance and investment fraud that targeted retirees in English-speaking nations.

Throughout that specific operation in South Africa, police arrested 39 suspects, seized $2.67 million in assets, and froze more than 250 financial accounts, Interpol reported.