Five alleged members of the Black Axe cybercriminal organization are set to make their first court appearance on Monday after being extradited from South Africa. According to reporting by The Record, the men face charges related to a 2021 indictment that accuses them of conducting romance scams that defrauded over 100 victims of thousands of dollars.
The accused, Perry Osagiede, Franklyn Edosa Osagiede, Osariemen Eric Clement, Collins Owhofasa Otughwor, and Musa Mudashiru, are charged with wire fraud and money laundering for their activities between 2011 and 2021. All five are originally from Nigeria and operated the Cape Town branch of the Black Axe gang, which has been under international law enforcement scrutiny for more than five years.
They were arrested in South Africa in 2021 and were extradited to the U.S. on September 11. The wire fraud and money laundering charges each carry a maximum sentence of 20 years. Court documents indicate that the men were leaders of their local branch of Black Axe, which is based in Benin City, Nigeria. Perry Osagiede is noted as the founder of the Cape Town chapter and was instrumental in orchestrating scams targeting U.S. residents.
The indictment reveals evidence of discussions among the accused regarding romance scams, including shared messages intended to manipulate victims into sending more money. The group reportedly targeted victims through social media and dating websites, often using aliases to establish trust.
Additionally, the Justice Department reported that the group threatened to leak sensitive photographs of victims who refused to comply with their demands for money. Osagiede was also involved in managing several South African companies that facilitated money laundering operations.
Stefanie Roddy, special agent in charge at the FBI’s Newark office, described Black Axe as a “notoriously violent transnational criminal organization” and encouraged other victims to come forward. The criminal complaints detail numerous fake identities used by the group during their scams.
U.S. law enforcement has collaborated with Interpol and other international agencies to dismantle Black Axe. Recently, Interpol arrested 58 individuals across 22 countries linked to the organization, some of whom provided money laundering services. In April, law enforcement in Switzerland and Germany apprehended 10 suspected members of Black Axe during coordinated raids.
The U.S. Treasury Department has reported that approximately $12.7 billion has been stolen from Americans in 2023 alone due to overseas romance and investment scams.
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