Six Nigerian nationals arrested in South Africa in 2021 over an alleged romance scam targeting more than 100 Americans will today be handed over to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
The suspects allegedly built sophisticated online relationships with women in the United States (US), including pensioners and businesspeople, before using those relationships to defraud them of over R100 million ($6.2 million). South Africa’s Hawks, an elite crime-fighting unit, say the men are also alleged to be members of the Black Axe, a transnational organised criminal syndicate, and face US charges of wire fraud and money laundering.
The case highlights a broader shift in the cybercrime economy, where criminals can exploit human trust without ever breaching a device. Social platforms and messaging services give fraudsters the tools to manufacture identities, build relationships, and manipulate victims across borders, turning emotional trust into a new attack surface.
“The suspects are alleged to have targeted 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,” Hawks spokesperson Colonel Katlego Mogale said in a statement on Friday.
Among those victims were pensioners and businesspeople, Mogale said, describing the relationships as sophisticated online interactions used to defraud them of their money.
The six Nigerians were arrested in South Africa in 2021 after a major takedown operation involving South African and US law enforcement agencies. The investigation involved the Hawks, the FBI, the US Secret Service and Interpol, underscoring how a scam conducted through digital channels can quickly become an international law-enforcement problem.
The suspects will be transported today from a correctional facility in Cape Town to Cape Town International Airport, where they will be handed over to FBI and US Secret Service officials.
“This extradition demonstrates the continued cooperation between South African law enforcement agencies and international law enforcement partners in disrupting transnational organised crime and ensuring that suspects wanted in other jurisdictions face due legal process,” Mogale said.
The five-year gap between the arrests and today’s handover also illustrates an important tension in digital crime. The technology that enables the initial contact is immediate and largely indifferent to national borders. Investigating the crime, identifying suspects, building a case, and moving people between jurisdictions takes much longer.
A traditional cyberattack exploits software vulnerabilities, stolen credentials, or malware. Romance fraud needs none of these. It preys on emotions, building trust and credibility until requests for money seem legitimate.
US data shows that more than 49,000 Americans reported losing a collective $1.3 billion to romance scams in 2025.
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I am the CEO of 9JAGISTLAND.My name is Adedeji Timothy and my co-owner is Oyekola Damilare.This blog is born out of our passion to educating to people in all aspect of internet life.We are enthusiastic about writing posts and articles online.
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