Romance scam: S’African police extradite six Nigerians to US

The South African Police Service has extradited six Nigerians to the United States for allegedly defrauding American women of over $6m in online romance scams.

In a report by AP, the suspects, linked to an organised criminal network, Black Axe, were repatriated on Friday.

The report stated that they were arrested in Cape Town in 2021, but would be handed over to officials of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The undisclosed Nigerian suspects would be facing wire and money-laundering charges in the US for participating in cyber-enabled financial fraud via romance scams, cryptocurrency and other fraudulent activities.

“According to South African police, the men are alleged to have targeted more than 100 women in the US, defrauding them of more than $6m through online romance or love scams.

“Among the alleged victims were pensioners and businesspeople who were reportedly targeted through sophisticated online relationships,” the report stated.

Biodun Busari is a journalist at Punch Newspapers with five years of experience reporting on human interest, crime, diaspora issues, and feature storytelling. He focuses on producing engaging, informative stories that enlighten the public and provide context on complex topics. Biodun’s work demonstrates hands-on newsroom experience and a strong commitment to accurate, purpose-driven journalism.

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