More than 100 American women were defrauded of over $6 million in a sophisticated online romance scam linked to six Nigerian nationals who have now been extradited from South Africa to the United States.
The suspects, who had been in South African custody since their arrest in Cape Town in 2021, were transferred to US authorities on Friday to face charges of wire fraud and money laundering.
Also Read: Interpol Cracks Down On 260 African Romance Scammers In Cybercrime Bust
Victims Targeted Through Online Relationships
According to BBC, South African police revealed that the six men were part of a criminal network that used romantic relationships established online to deceive victims and obtain money from them.
More than 100 women in the United States were targeted; the victims included pensioners and businesspeople.
Authorities say the relationships were sophisticated and were used to gain the trust of the victims before the financial fraud was carried out.
Suspects Linked To Black Axe
The men are accused of being members of Black Axe, a criminal network that has been associated with various forms of transnational organised crime.
Interpol has linked groups such as Black Axe to a significant portion of cyber-enabled financial fraud worldwide, including romance scams as well as cryptocurrency and investment-related schemes.
The scam has attracted increased attention from international law enforcement agencies as criminals continue using online platforms to target victims across borders.
FBI And Secret Service Take Custody
The extradition involved cooperation between South African authorities and US law enforcement agencies.
South African police spokesperson Katlego Mogale said the suspects were transported from a correctional facility in Cape Town to Cape Town International Airport, where they were handed over to officials from the FBI and the United States Secret Service.
The six were then transported to the United States to face the charges against them.
Interpol Intensifies Crackdown On West African Networks
The extradition comes as Interpol continues targeting organised crime groups involved in cyber-enabled financial offences.
In a recent operation against West African criminal networks, the international police organisation reported 58 arrests and identified 263 suspects connected to various criminal groups involved in similar crimes.
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