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Eight suspects were arrested in Cape Town in the early hours of Tuesday morning in a joint operation involving the FBI, the United States Secret Service, local authorities and Interpol.
The FBI estimates that to date, more than 100 people have lost more than R100 million in romance scams since 2011.
Hawks spokesperson Colonel Katlego Mogale says the suspects aged 33 to 52 are in custody for internet scams, money laundering and for their alleged involvement in international wide-scale financial fraud.
She says the operation was initiated based on the Mutual Legal Assistance from Central Authorities of the USA that was approved by South Africa.
The suspects will be charged with a variety of financial crimes, including conspiracy to commit wire/mail and money laundering.
It is believed that the suspects have ties to a transnational organized crime syndicate originating in Nigeria.
Colonel Mogale says the suspects allegedly preyed on vulnerable victims like widows and divorcees who were led to believe that they were in a genuine romantic relationship.
The suspects used social media and online dating sites to lure their victims.
She says as soon as they gained the trust of their victims they would concoct all kinds of sob stories as to why they needed money.
Some would say they needed money to release an inheritance, to go on an essential overseas trip or to help with crippling debt.
