Six Nigerians suspected of defrauding more than six million dollars in romance scams are to be extradited from South Africa to the United States on Friday, South African authorities announced. The suspects are wanted by the American justice system for alleged wire fraud and money laundering.
The six men, identified as alleged members of the organized criminal network Black Axe, are to be handed over to FBI and Secret Service officials at Cape Town International Airport, according to the South African elite police unit, the Hawks.
They were arrested in South Africa in 2021 as part of a major operation. Investigators accuse them of targeting more than 100 women in the United States and swindling them out of more than 100 million rand—approximately 6.2 million dollars or 5.3 million euros—through online romance scams.
“Among the alleged victims are retirees and business leaders who were reportedly targeted through sophisticated online relationships used to strip them of their money,” said Hawks spokesperson Colonel Katlego Mogale.
Romance scams, or “love scams,” rely on creating a fake romantic relationship with a victim, usually via social media or dating sites. After establishing a climate of trust, the scammers cite financial difficulties or emergency situations to convince their victims to transfer money.
These scams constitute a growing form of transnational cybercrime. The perpetrators notably use false identities to establish long-distance relationships and gradually gain the trust of their targets.
Captured & Published at: 2026-09-11 11:53:35 (Madagascar Local Time EAT)
Original Source: https://www.2424.mg/cybercriminalite-lafrique-du-sud-annonce-lextradition-de-six-nigerians-soupconnes-darnaques-a-la-romance-vers-les-etats-unis/