CAPE TOWN, South Africa: South African police said authorities will extradite six Nigerian nationals to the United States over an alleged $6m romance scam targeting more than 100 American women.
Authorities arrested the men in Cape Town in 2021. They will face wire fraud and money laundering charges in the United States.
South African police allege the group defrauded victims of more than USD 6 million through online romantic relationships. Pensioners and businesspeople were among those targeted, authorities said.
Police spokesperson Katlego Mogale said authorities would take the six from a Cape Town correctional facility to Cape Town International Airport. Officials from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Secret Service would receive them there.
Authorities accuse the men of links to Black Axe, a criminal network associated with cyber-enabled financial fraud. Interpol says groups of this type run romance, cryptocurrency and investment scams.
The extradition follows a broader Interpol operation against West African organised crime networks. The agency said that effort resulted in 58 arrests and identified 263 suspects.
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In a related South African operation, police arrested 39 people, seized USD 2.67 million and froze more than 250 bank accounts linked to alleged romance and investment scams.
