A German court on Thursday jailed 12 members of a Nigerian organised crime ring for their roles in an international “romance scam” network that defrauded victims through fake romantic relationships and money laundering.
The court in Munich said those convicted were aged between 34 and 55 and were sentenced to prison terms ranging from three years and four months to eight-and-a-half years.
They were found guilty of involvement in an international network that was used to run romance-related scams and then illegally launder the proceeds.
The scammers used fake identities, for example posing as a US soldier stationed in the Middle East, to approach victims on social media or dating apps and dupe them into believing they were in a personal or romantic relationship.
The victims were then asked to make money transfers to help with fictitious medical, travel or customs costs.
The court said the victims were mostly “women, elderly people or people with disabilities.”
The money was then transferred to an organisation called “Neo Black Movement of Africa”, also known as “Black Axe”, based in Nigeria but active worldwide.
In April 2024, German police carried out a wave of arrests targeting the gang after years of investigation and surveillance by domestic intelligence agencies.
At the time of the operation, Bavarian police said many cases had not been reported, as victims were ashamed of having allowed themselves to be manipulated to such an extent.