South Africa hands Nigerian romance scam suspects to FBI over $6.2 million fraud
The case highlights a broader shift in the cybercrime economy, where criminals can exploit human trust without ever breaching a device.
Six Nigerian nationals, accused of a $6.2 million romance scam targeting over 100 Americans, will be handed over to the FBI today. South Africa's Hawks, an elite crime-fighting unit, says the men are also alleged members of the Black Axe, a transnational organized criminal syndicate, and face US charges of wire fraud and money laundering.
The suspects allegedly built elaborate online relationships with women in the United States, including pensioners and businesspeople, before using those relationships to defraud them of more than R100 million ($6.2 million). This case highlights the growing threat of cybercrime, where criminals exploit human trust without breaching a device.
The suspects were arrested in South Africa in 2021 after a major operation involving South African and US law enforcement agencies, including the Hawks, FBI, US Secret Service, and Interpol. The extradition underscores the international nature of these scams and the ongoing cooperation between law enforcement agencies in disrupting transnational organized crime.
Written by urgent.news from TechCabal's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
This story
This is one outlet's version. Read the fullest account.
- South Africa is rebuilding the machinery behind its payments system techcabal.com
- Nigeria bans lawmakers from visiting South Africa moneyweb.co.za
