Six Nigerian nationals alleged to have masterminded an international online romance scam are expected to be extradited from South Africa to the United States on Friday afternoon.
South Africa’s Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), also known as the Hawks, said the men are wanted by US authorities in connection with charges of wire fraud and money laundering.
Investigators allege they targeted more than 100 women in the United States and defrauded victims of more than R100 million, using “sophisticated” online relationships to gain their trust before stealing their money.
The alleged victims include pensioners and businesspeople, officials said, describing the scam as part of wider transnational organised crime linked to the “Black Axe” group.
According to the Hawks, the suspects established contact with victims through online platforms, built rapport over time and then manipulated victims into sending money – often under claims of urgent personal or financial crises.
Authorities said the suspects were arrested in South Africa in 2021 during a major takedown operation targeting the alleged criminal network.
They remained in South Africa while extradition proceedings were underway.
On Friday, the men are expected to be transported from a correctional facility in Cape Town to Cape Town International Airport where they will be handed over to officials from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation and the US Secret Service who arrived in South Africa earlier on Friday to facilitate the extradition.
Once transferred, the suspects are expected to face the US justice system over allegations connected to the online romance scam.
Online romance scams have grown into a serious global criminal threat.
In many cases, fraudsters use social media and dating platforms to cultivate trust, then direct victims to send money through transfers, deposits, cryptocurrency, or intermediaries, sometimes escalating to threats or blackmail when victims refuse or ask questions.
JN/APA