11.9.2026
South African police said six Nigerian citizens allegedly involved in an online romance scam that swindled American women $6m are being extradited to the US for prosecution.
The men who have been in detention for since 2021 when they were arrested were handed over to the Federal Bureau of Investigation on Friday and transported to the U.S. to face wire fraud and money laundering charges.
They are accused of belonging to a criminal network known as the Black Axe, which Interpol describes as being part of criminal groups responsible for a significant share of the world’s cyber-enabled financial fraud, typically through romance scams, cryptocurrency and investment scams.
According to South African police, the men are alleged to have targeted more than 100 women in the U.S., defrauding them of more than $6 million through online romance or love scams.
Among the alleged victims were pensioners and businesspeople who were reportedly targeted through sophisticated online relationships.
“Through the coordination of Interpol South Africa, the six be transported from a correctional facility in Cape Town to the Cape Town International Airport, where they will be handed over to officials from the FBI and the United States Secret Service, who arrived in South Africa this morning,” said police spokesperson Katlego Mogale. With agency reports
FBI taking charge of a suspect scam artist.