Six Nigerian nationals suspected of defrauding more than 100 American women out of over six million dollars through online romance scams have been extradited from South Africa to the United States. The men, who were arrested in Cape Town in 2021, were transported from a correctional facility there to Cape Town International Airport on Friday, where they were handed over to agents from the FBI and the United States Secret Service. They now face charges of wire fraud and money laundering in the US.
The six are alleged members of Black Axe, a Nigerian-origin criminal network that began as a university fraternity but evolved into a mafia-style organised crime syndicate operating across Africa, Europe and North America. Interpol describes Black Axe as responsible for a significant share of the world's cyber-enabled financial fraud. The group is also linked to human trafficking and murder. Among those allegedly targeted in this scheme were pensioners and businesspeople, who were drawn in through what South Africa's elite Hawks police unit described as "sophisticated online relationships used to defraud them of their money."
Prosecutors say the suspects used social media platforms, online dating sites and internet-based phone calls to build false romantic relationships with victims, often operating under multiple aliases. A common ruse involved a fictional love interest claiming to be working on a construction project in Cape Town who had been mugged and needed money — for a replacement phone, crane repairs, legal fees, or foreign taxes to release a large sum allegedly owed to them. In some cases, victims were persuaded to open US bank accounts that the alleged fraudsters then used directly to move funds to South Africa.
FBI operations against Black Axe date back to November 2019, and charges have been brought against more than 35 individuals in connection with multi-million-dollar internet fraud schemes linked to the network. The extradition comes amid a broader international crackdown: a recent Interpol-coordinated operation involving 22 countries led to 58 arrests and the identification of 263 suspects tied to Black Axe and other West African organised crime groups. In South Africa alone, seven sites in Johannesburg were raided, 39 people were arrested, approximately $2.67 million was seized and more than 250 bank accounts were frozen.
South African police said the handover reflects ongoing cooperation between national and international law enforcement to disrupt transnational organised crime. Neither South African nor US authorities have publicly identified the six individuals being extradited. The case underscores the continued global reach of romance scam networks — and the growing multi-agency effort to prosecute them across borders.