Olusegun ARIYO
Gurgaon police cybercrime operatives in India have apprehended two Nigerian nationals for allegedly impersonating directors of Indian companies on WhatsApp to defraud employees.
Authorities said the suspects convinced victims to transfer funds into bank accounts controlled by the syndicate.
The Times of India reported on Wednesday that the suspects have been identified as Ojo Uyiosa and another Nigerian known as James.
The arrests took place last Saturday after investigators traced a suspicious phone number linked to the scheme.
Police findings indicate that Uyiosa arrived in India on a student visa in 2014, while James entered the country in 2023 on a tourist visa.
According to investigators, the duo, reportedly working with other Nigerian nationals, posed as company directors and pressured employees to make urgent financial transfers, which were then divided among the group.
Authorities said approximately 10 lakh rupees (over N15 million) were transferred into a Bandhan Bank account connected to the operation.
The account had been flagged in two prior cybercrime complaints.
Further investigation revealed that the suspects were involved in multiple similar fraud cases using the same method.
A formal case was filed, and both suspects were arraigned in court on Sunday, where they were remanded in police custody for three days.
The cybercrime unit confirmed that the suspects primarily used WhatsApp to communicate with victims, while accomplices provided bank accounts to receive the illicit funds.
Two mobile phones and three SIM cards allegedly used in the fraud were seized, and authorities are continuing efforts to trace additional assets, identify other members of the network, and uncover the full extent of the operation.
