South Africa to Extradite Six Nigerians Over $6m Scam

South Africa will extradite six Nigerian nationals to the United States on Friday over allegations that they defrauded victims of more than $6 million through an online romance scam.

The suspects allegedly belong to an organised criminal network known as Black Axe and face charges including wire fraud and money laundering in the US. South Africa’s elite police unit, the Hawks, said authorities arrested the men in 2021 during a major crackdown.

According to the Hawks, the suspects allegedly targeted more than 100 women in the United States and defrauded them of more than R100 million, valued at about $6.2 million.

“Among the alleged victims were pensioners and businesspeople who were reportedly targeted through sophisticated online relationships used to defraud them of their money,” Hawks spokeswoman Colonel Katlego Mogale said.

Mogale said officials would hand the suspects over to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the US State Secret Service at Cape Town International Airport on Friday.

The case highlights the growing reach of online romance scams, which have become a major form of cross-border cybercrime. Fraudsters often create false identities on dating websites and social media before building trust with victims and persuading them to send money.

The Hawks said the alleged operation used sophisticated online relationships to target victims, including pensioners and businesspeople.

The extradition comes after several high-profile fraud cases involving Nigerian nationals in the United States. In 2022, Nigerian Instagram influencer Ramon Abbas was sentenced to more than 11 years in a US prison for his role in an international fraud syndicate.

The latest case reflects the increasing efforts by law enforcement agencies to tackle international online fraud and bring suspects before courts where they are wanted.

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