A German court has jailed 12 Nigerians for involvement in so-called “love scams” and money laundering.
The court in Munich said on Thursday that those convicted were aged between 34 and 55 years, 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.
According to court, the convicts 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.
Fictitious expenses
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.
