South Africa to extradite six over alleged romance scam

South Africa is extraditing six Nigerian nationals to the United States to face wire fraud and money laundering charges linked to an alleged online romance scam that police say defrauded more than 100 American women of more than R100 million, roughly $6.2 million, authorities said on Friday. The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, known as the Hawks, said the operation is being carried out in collaboration with Interpol South Africa. According to a Hawks statement, the six men are alleged to be members of the Black Axe organised criminal network and are wanted by US authorities on charges including wire fraud and money laundering. Hawks spokesperson Colonel Katlego Mogale said the suspects were arrested in South Africa in 2021 following a major takedown operation. She said the men allegedly targeted more than 100 women in the United States through online romance or love scams, and that among the alleged victims were pensioners and businesspeople who were reportedly drawn into sophisticated online relationships used to obtain their money. The handover was scheduled for Friday afternoon at Cape Town International Airport.