Indian authorities have arrested two Nigerian nationals for their alleged involvement in a cyber fraud scheme involving the impersonation of company directors to defraud employees.
Operatives of the cybercrime unit of the Gurgaon police reportedly arrested the suspects after tracking a suspicious phone number linked to multiple fraudulent transactions.
The suspects were identified as Ojo Uyiosa and another Nigerian identified simply as James.
According to a report by The Times of India, the duo allegedly posed as directors of Indian companies on WhatsApp, contacting unsuspecting employees and pressuring them to make urgent financial transfers into bank accounts controlled by the syndicate.
Investigations revealed that Uyiosa entered India in 2014 on a student visa, while James reportedly arrived in 2023 on a tourist visa.
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The suspects were said to be working with other accomplices, mostly fellow Nigerians, who helped coordinate bank accounts used to receive the illicit funds.
Police disclosed that about 10 lakh rupees, equivalent to over ₦15 million, was transferred into a Bandhan Bank account linked to the fraud.
The account had reportedly been flagged in two separate cybercrime complaints before the arrests.
Further interrogation allegedly connected the suspects to several similar fraud cases using the same modus operandi.
They were arraigned in court on Sunday and remanded in police custody for three days to allow investigators to conclude inquiries.
Items recovered during the operation include two mobile phones and three SIM cards believed to have been used in carrying out the fraud.
Authorities said efforts are ongoing to trace additional assets, identify other members of the syndicate, and determine the full extent of the operation.
The arrests come amid growing concerns over the rising involvement of Nigerians in cybercrime cases across several countries, prompting calls for stronger international cooperation and preventive measures.