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In 2019, Cape Town was dubbed an “international cybercrime capital” after a string of victims of a dating scam came forward.

Four women claimed to have been taken for R16 million between them.

Back then, the entire romance scam syndicate was estimated to have netted in excess of R4 billion, and that number could only have been climbing as more suspected scammers have been arrested.

IOL reported that eight foreign nationals in Cape Town, who were suspected of being involved in internet romance scams, money laundering, and international-wide financial fraud, were arrested this morning.

It is estimated that more than 100 people lost more than R100 million in these romance scams spanning from 2011 through to now.

The suspected members of this “transnational organised crime syndicate originating in Nigeria” are aged between 33 to 52, per the Hawks.

TimesLIVE mentioned that the criminal organisation might be the Black Axe, a highly organised mafia-style organisation also known as the Neo Black Movement of Africa:

“It is alleged these suspects preyed on victims, many of whom are vulnerable widows or divorcees who were led to believed they were in genuine romantic relationships but were scammed out of their hard-earned money.

“The suspects used social media and online dating websites to find and connect with their victims.

“Another modus operandi used by the suspects was business e-mail compromise, where e-mail accounts are diverted to change banking details.

“They assumed fake names and trolled dating sites.

“Once they had ingratiated themselves with their victims, they allegedly concocted sob stories about why they needed money — taxes to release an inheritance, essential overseas travel, crippling debt, and so on — and then siphoned money from victims’ accounts to the amount of R100m.

The scammers are said to have intimidated and berated their victims, ruining their lives before suddenly disappearing with the stolen money.

It took 11 official crime authorities, both in South Africa and internationally, to get ahead of these scammers and charge them for their crimes.

Hawks spokesperson Colonel Katlego Mogale said the arrests were part of a “joint operation” by the US Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), the US Secret Service Investigation, and Interpol:

The operation, said Mogale, was initiated based on mutual legal assistance from central authorities of the US and approved by the Republic of South Africa.

There was also assistance from the Hawks serious commercial crime investigation unit, police crime intelligence, police K9 units, national intervention unit, special task force, Hawks tactical operations management section, the Criminal Record Centre, and Cape Town metro police.

Mogale confirmed that all eight suspects will be charged with financial crimes, including conspiracy to commit wire/mail fraud/mail and money laundering.

I am just going to quickly hop onto that ‘red flag Twitter trend.

If you’ve never met someone in person from a dating site and they’re asking for vast sums of money to be transferred to them:  🚩  🚩  🚩  🚩  🚩  🚩  🚩  🚩  🚩.

Also, do report any suspected online scam and fraud to a local police station.

[sources:iol&timeslive]