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South African police extradite six Nigerian nationals to the United States to face romance scam charges

South African police are handing over six Nigerian nationals to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Secret Service on Friday. The six men, who were arrested in Cape Town in 2021, are members of the Black Axe, a criminal network responsible for a significant share of the world's cyber-enabled financial fraud. These individuals are alleged to have targeted more than 100 women in the United States, defrauding them of more than $6 million through sophisticated online romance scams. The victims included pensioners and businesspeople. Upon arrival in the United States, the men will face wire fraud and money-laundering charges. The extradition process was coordinated by Interpol South Africa. This move follows a recent Interpol operation targeting West African organized crime groups, which resulted in the arrest of 58 people and the identification of 263 suspects. In South Africa, authorities recently raided seven locations in Johannesburg linked to a syndicate running romance and investment scams, leading to the arrest of 39 people and the seizure of $2.67 million.

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