Six Nigerians extradited to US over $6M online romance scam
Alleged members of Black Axe criminal network that swindled US women out of $6m flown from South Africa
TL;DR
- Six Nigerian nationals have been extradited from South Africa to the US.
- They are linked to an organized criminal network accused of defrauding American women of over $6 million through online romance scams.
- The men were arrested in Cape Town in 2021 and face wire fraud and money laundering charges.
- They are accused of belonging to the Black Axe network, known for cyber-enabled financial fraud.
- The extradition was facilitated by South African police, the Hawks, the FBI, and the Secret Service, with Interpol's involvement.
- A recent Interpol operation against West African organized crime groups led to numerous arrests and suspect identifications.
- Separately, a South African operation targeting romance and investment scams arrested 39 people and seized significant assets.