• Madagascar's justice ministry says 148 Chinese nationals linked to romance, crypto and investment scam sites have been extradited to China, according to AFP.
  • According to the ministry's account relayed by AFP, 13 compounds were taken down in August and September in operations conducted with the US Department of Justice.
  • The DOJ charged six Africa-based people over a fake NFT scheme; it says about 74 wallets were tied to about 800 victims.
  • The DOJ says Madagascar 'repatriated' suspects to China before the investigation was complete.

AFP reported on 31 October and 1 November that Madagascar's justice ministry says 148 Chinese nationals linked to romance, cryptocurrency and investment scam sites have been extradited to China. DII has not seen the ministry's statement, so the figure rests on AFP's account of it.

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) tells a less tidy story. In a release dated 27 October, it said the US was stymied in interviewing those involved because Madagascar repatriated numerous suspects to China before the investigation was complete. The release does not give a number of suspects sent to China.

The DII Take

The DOJ says it could not finish interviewing suspects before Madagascar sent them to China, and it uses the word 'repatriated' where Madagascar says 'extradited'. That gap matters to prosecutors. The wider pattern matters more to dating operators: when compounds are shut in one country, the same groups appear to reopen in another. Trust and safety teams whose fake-profile models assume Southeast Asia should check them against that.

Washington says it was stymied

The DOJ says the FBI deployed to Madagascar in August to help take down 13 compounds, with more than 3,200 devices seized. It has charged six Africa-based people, led by Malaysian national Chui Kok Wa, with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. These are allegations, not convictions.

According to the DOJ, scammers posed as beautiful women on dating websites and persuaded victims to connect crypto wallets to fraudulent sites. The FBI identified about 74 wallets associated with about 800 victims. US Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro called on Madagascar to extradite the six defendants.

From Cambodia to Antananarivo

AFP quoted an FBI court document saying: 'Cyber scam centers are increasingly opening in Africa following the closure of such compounds in Southeast Asia'. AFP also reported that the DOJ believes Wa's group opened compounds in Madagascar in early 2025, likely moving them from Cambodia.

AFP reported that 11 Chinese nationals arrested separately in the crackdown walked free from a Madagascar jail in August. The episode allegedly implicates the head of the prison service. According to AFP, around 20 nationals of Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and Zimbabwe are in custody. Police crime unit chief Hassan Mouigni told AFP that, according to their statements, most had their passports confiscated and were forced to scam. The FBI has said some of the detained Africans had contracts and pay, and it has not been able to interview them.

AFP reported that 11 Chinese nationals arrested separately in the crackdown walked free from a Madagascar jail in August.

What to watch

Watch whether Madagascar answers Pirro's request on the six charged defendants. Also watch where the next compounds open. DII has previously covered a Philippines arrest in an alleged romance fraud case, a reminder of how widely this activity is spread.

  • The DOJ says Madagascar repatriated suspects to China before its investigation was complete, which may limit US prosecutors' access to them.
  • Fake female dating profiles are central to the US allegations, so platforms should expect scam operators to keep relocating.

Sources: Scam Center Strike Force Expands Reach to Target Global Crime Syndicates; Charges Scammers Based in Africa and Tied to China (US Department of Justice); Chinese Scam Networks Shift From Cambodia to Madagascar as Authorities Crack Down (Agence France-Presse via The China-Global South Project)