Six Nigerian nationals have been extradited from South Africa to the United States to face charges over an alleged online romance scam that targeted more than 100 American women and resulted in losses of over $6 million.
The men, who were arrested in Cape Town in 2021, were handed over to officials from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Secret Service at Cape Town International Airport on Friday, September 11.
They are expected to face charges of wire fraud and money laundering in the United States.
According to the South African police’s Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, known as the Hawks, the suspects allegedly used sophisticated online relationships to defraud more than 100 women in the US of over R100 million, equivalent to more than US$6 million.
Among those allegedly targeted were pensioners and businesspeople, who were reportedly persuaded to send money after being led to believe they were in genuine romantic relationships.
The extradition was facilitated by the Hawks and INTERPOL South Africa in cooperation with US law enforcement agencies.
The case forms part of a wider international crackdown on organised cybercrime networks operating across borders. An Interpol operation targeting West African criminal networks recently resulted in 58 arrests and the identification of 263 suspects linked to various forms of organised financial crime.
The six men remain accused persons and will face the charges in the United States, where the allegations will be tested in court.