A German court has jailed 12 members of a Nigerian organized crime ring on Thursday for their part in so-called “love scams” 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 U.S. 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 organization 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 members who were using fake identities online, extorting money from victims after gaining their trust and promising marriage. This was after 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.

The suspected criminals were Nigerians who had lived in Germany for many years and the Police seized Black Axe paraphernalia belonging to them.

They were internationally famous for different criminal activities such as “human-trafficking, fraud, prostitution and drug-trafficking” but in Germany were focusing especially on large-scale dating scams and money laundering.

Who is behind the ‘broken hearts’ scam?

The police raids targeted 19 properties in total, including both homes and refugee shelters.

All eleven suspects are Nigerian citizens but most of them have been in Germany for many years. The alleged gang members are between the ages of 29 and 53.

The criminal gang Black Axe, whose members are estimated at around 30,000 worldwide, is reported to “camouflage” their activity disguised as charity.  They operate under the auspices of the Neo Black Movement of Africa.

According to police, Black Axe has a strong influence on Nigerian politics and public administration.

What were the methods of the fraudsters?

The police said the deception schemes used by the scammers amount to a “modern form of marriage fraud.”

The fraudsters created fake profiles on social networks and dating platforms where they gained the trust of victims and promised marriage after requesting money. The fraudsters transferred money from fraudsters to Black Axe in Nigeria “via financial agents,” authorities said.

In the German region of Bavaria in 2023 alone there have been 450 dating scams and the victims lost about 5.3 million euros ($5.7 million). (Written from agency reports)