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Six Nigerians extradited to U.S. over $6m online romance scam

Six Nigerians extradited to U.S. Friday over a $6m romance scam targeting over 100 American women.

AI News Feed · 2026-09-12 22:50

South African police confirmed the extradition earlier Friday. Local news in Africa reported that the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, known as the Hawks, facilitated the handover to officials from the FBI and the U.S. Secret Service at Cape Town international airport, working with Interpol South Africa. The men were arrested in Cape Town in 2021 and face wire fraud and money laundering charges.

They are accused of belonging to a criminal network known as Black Axe. Interpol describes the group as among criminal organizations responsible for a significant share of the world's cyber-enabled financial fraud, typically through romance, cryptocurrency and investment scams.

According to South African police, the men are alleged to have targeted more than 100 women in the United States, defrauding them of more than $6 million through online romance or love scams. Among the alleged victims were pensioners and businesspeople who were reportedly targeted through sophisticated online relationships.

Police spokesperson Katlego Mogale said: "Through the coordination of Interpol South Africa, the six will today be transported from a correctional facility in Cape Town to Cape Town international airport, where they will be handed over to officials from the FBI and the United States Secret Service, who arrived in South Africa this morning."

Interpol said last month that a recent operation targeting West African organized crime groups led to the arrest of 58 people and the identification of 263 suspects linked to various criminal networks involved in similar crimes. The operation aimed to disrupt money laundering, identify high-value targets, seize assets, and support arrests and prosecution.

In South Africa, authorities raided seven locations in Johannesburg linked to a syndicate that ran romance and investment scams targeting retirees in English-speaking countries, Interpol said. Police arrested 39 people, seized $2.67 million and froze more than 250 bank accounts in that operation.