South Africa extradites six Nigerians wanted in US romance scam
Africa
By
AFP
| Sep 11, 2026
Yellow police barricade tape. [AFP]
South Africa will extradite six Nigerian nationals to the United States Friday over allegations they swindled victims out of more than $6 million in a sophisticated online romance scam, police said.
The men are alleged to be members an organised criminal network called Black Axe and are wanted by US authorities on charges including wire fraud and money laundering, South Africa's elite police unit Hawks said in a statement.
They were arrested in South Africa in 2021 following a major crackdown after allegedly targeting "more than 100 women in the United States, allegedly defrauding them of more than R100 million ($6.2 million) through online romance or love scams", the Hawks said.
"Among the alleged victims were pensioners and businesspeople who were reportedly targeted through sophisticated online relationships used to defraud them of their money," Hawks spokeswoman Colonel Katlego Mogale said.
READ MORE
Banks surpass Sh200 billion mark in tax contribution to government
UAE commits $1 billion to AI projects in Africa
East African summit targets skills gaps, cross-border employment
Kenya courts foreign contractors to boost affordable housing projects
Nairobi's financial hub status puts capital city on global investors' radar
Dangote buys 25pc of Kenya Pipeline for Sh42.5b
Slash cost of doing business, CEOs urge government
Kenyan AI innovators win US$10,000 at inaugural Meta AI Academy Pitchathon
Nairobi's luxury market draws global watch brands
African ministers back regional shipping plan to cut trade costs
Mogale said the suspects would be handed over to officials from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the US State Secret Service at the Cape Town International Airport on Friday.
Online romance scams have become a growing form of transnational cybercrime, with fraudsters using fake identities on dating websites and social media to gain victims' trust before tricking them into sending money.
In 2022, an Instagram influencer from Nigeria Ramon Abbas was jailed for more than 11 years in the US for his role in an international fraud syndicate.