In Cape Town, South Africa, six Nigerian citizens are to be handed over to US law enforcement officers for extradition to the United States in a case involving more than $6 million in online fraud. According to South African police, the men are suspected of deceiving more than 100 women in the US through schemes involving fake online romantic relationships.
The suspects were detained in Cape Town in 2021. In the US, they are to face charges of wire fraud and money laundering. As CBS News reports, the men will be transported from a correctional facility to Cape Town International Airport, where they will be handed over to representatives of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the US Secret Service.
Possible link to Black Axe
According to South African police, the six men allegedly belong to the Black Axe criminal network. Interpol describes Black Axe as one of the groups involved in a significant share of cyber-enabled financial fraud worldwide, including romance scams, cryptocurrency fraud and investment scams.
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Among the alleged victims, according to police, were retired women and businesswomen. Law enforcement officers said the suspects allegedly established complex online relationships with them to commit fraud.
Interpol operations
Last month, Interpol reported an operation against West African organized crime groups, during which 58 people were detained and 263 suspects linked to various criminal networks were identified. The operation was aimed at combating money laundering, identifying key suspects, seizing assets, and supporting arrests and criminal prosecutions.
In Johannesburg, law enforcement officers raided seven addresses linked to a group that, according to Interpol, organized romance and investment scams targeting retirees in English-speaking countries. At the time, 39 people were detained, $2.67 million was seized, and more than 250 bank accounts were frozen. According to the US Federal Trade Commission, more than 64,000 Americans lost over $1 billion to romance scam schemes in 2023.
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