Six Nigerians Extradited from South Africa to US Over Romance Scams
Six Nigerian nationals accused of running sophisticated online romance scams are being extradited from South Africa to the United States to face federal charges. The suspects, who were arrested in 2021, are scheduled to be handed over to American law enforcement officials on Friday.
According to South African authorities, the group is accused of targeting more than 100 women in the US, defrauding them of more than 100 million rand (approximately $6 million or £5 million). The victims reportedly included pensioners and businesspeople who were targeted through elaborate online relationships designed to siphon their funds.
Extradition and Handover Details
The suspects are being transferred from a correctional facility in Cape Town to the airport, where they will be handed over to officials from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the United States Secret Service. Hawks spokesperson Colonel Katlego Mogale confirmed the transfer in a statement, noting that the individuals will face wire fraud and money-laundering charges upon their arrival in the US.
At the time of reporting, authorities in both the US and South Africa had not publicly released the names of the six individuals being extradited. Inquiries regarding the case have been sent to Interpol, the FBI, the Secret Service, and the US Department of Justice.
The Black Axe Connection
The six individuals are believed to be members of Black Axe, a Nigerian mafia-style crime syndicate. The group has been linked globally to human trafficking, internet fraud, and murder. Black Axe operates as a shadowy criminal network across Africa, Europe, and North America, with Nigeria serving as its primary recruitment ground. Many of its members are university-educated and are inducted during their schooling, originating from what began as a Nigerian student fraternity.
In 2021, the US Justice Department announced federal charges against eight men allegedly linked to the syndicate. Prosecutors stated that the group engaged in widespread internet fraud, utilizing social media platforms, online dating websites, and internet-based phone calls to identify and communicate with victims in the US under various aliases.
Tactics and Financial Schemes
According to US prosecutors and law enforcement questionnaires, the syndicate employed highly specific narratives to deceive victims. A common scenario involved a purported online love interest who claimed to be travelling to Cape Town to work on a construction project. Once "arrived," the persona would claim to have been mugged, requesting that the victim send a phone and other electronic devices to South Africa.
In other instances, the scammers convinced victims to provide loans to cover emergency expenses, such as repairing a faulty crane at a construction site, paying legal fees following an accident, or paying foreign taxes to release a larger sum of money. The group also utilized the bank accounts of victims and other US-based financial accounts to transfer the stolen funds back to South Africa, sometimes convincing victims to open new US bank accounts for the conspirators to use directly.
Global Law Enforcement Crackdown
Law enforcement agencies have been targeting Black Axe for several years. The FBI launched dedicated operations against the syndicate in November 2019 and September 2021, leading to charges against more than 35 individuals for multi-million-dollar internet fraud.
More recently, the global policing agency Interpol has coordinated multiple international operations against the network. Between November 2025 and June 2026, an Interpol-led operation resulted in raids on seven sites in South Africa linked to romance and investment scams. The operation led to the arrest of 39 individuals, the seizure of cash, and the blocking of more than 250 bank accounts associated with the syndicate.
