South Africa extradites members of criminal network to the U.S. for romance scams
The South African Police Service (SAPS) confirmed that the extradition of six Nigerian citizens to the United States will take place this Friday. The individuals are wanted by U.S. authorities due to their alleged involvement in a romance scam network that affected a hundred women, accumulating fraud valued at approximately 5.3 million euros.
According to official information, the detainees are identified as members of the criminal organization known as Black Axe. They face serious charges for wire fraud and money laundering, crimes that allegedly affected mainly American businesswomen and pensioners.
Modus operandi: The deception behind online relationships
The criminal network operated under a sophisticated scheme of deception. The suspects established contact with their victims by posing as romantic partners who supposedly resided in Cape Town for work reasons on construction projects.
- Requests for electronic devices such as phones, tablets, and computers under the excuse of having been mugged.
- Requests for large sums of money supposedly intended for repairs to heavy machinery or cranes.
- Collection of fake legal fees after faking accidents.
- Demands for payments to cover non-existent taxes.
The suspects are wanted by the justice systems of the states of Texas and New Jersey, which have collaborated closely to achieve this extradition process.
A years-long process comes to an end
The six individuals involved were initially captured on South African soil in 2021. Following a process coordinated by the Interpol office in South Africa, the detainees will be transferred from a correctional facility in Cape Town to the city’s international airport. There, they will be placed under the custody of agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the United States Secret Service to begin their judicial process on American territory.
