Members of ‘Black Axe’ cybercriminal group extradited from South Africa

Five alleged members of the Black Axe cybercriminal organization will make their first court appearance on Monday after being extradited from South Africa. Prosecutors unsealed a 2021 indictment accusing the five men of conducting lucrative romance scams that stole thousands of dollars from more than 100 people. Perry Osagiede, Franklyn Edosa Osagiede, Osariemen Eric Clement, Collins Owhofasa Otughwor and Musa Mudashiru are facing wire fraud and money laundering charges after running romance scams from 2011 to 2021. All of the men are originally from Nigeria but ran the Cape Town branch of the Black Axe cybercriminal gang, which has been a focus of international law enforcement efforts for more than five years.

The group found victims on social media sites and dating websites, using apps to contact and convince victims through aliases. The Justice Department said the group often threatened to leak sensitive photographs of people when victims declined to send money. Perry Osagiede helped run several South African companies that were used to launder the funds but some victims opened separate bank accounts for the scammers that were loaded with funds. Stefanie Roddy, special agent in charge at the FBI’s Newark office, called Black Axe a “notoriously violent transnational criminal organization” and urged other victims to come forward if they were scammed by anyone connected to the group.