Nigeria: South Africa Extradites Six Nigerians Wanted in U.S. Romance Scam

What the report says

South Africa is set to extradite six Nigerian nationals to the United States on Friday in a case involving alleged online romance fraud, according to reporting carried by AllAfrica from Vanguard. South African police said the men are accused of helping run a sophisticated scam that reportedly took in more than $6 million from victims in the U.S. and led to charges such as wire fraud and money laundering.

The suspects are described by the South African elite police unit, the Hawks, as members of an organized criminal network known as Black Axe. The men were arrested in South Africa in 2021 after authorities say they targeted more than 100 women in the United States and used online relationships to trick them into sending money. Hawks spokeswoman Colonel Katlego Mogale said the alleged victims included pensioners and businesspeople.

According to the report, the handover is expected at Cape Town International Airport, where officials from the FBI and the U.S. Secret Service are to receive the suspects. The case highlights the cross-border nature of romance scams, a type of cybercrime that uses fake identities on dating platforms and social media. As broader context, such schemes have drawn increasing attention from law enforcement in several countries, including cases involving Nigerian suspects in the past.