Nigerians arrested for fraud in India as police uncover WhatsApp impersonation scheme that siphoned millions of rupees from company employees

Indian police have arrested two Nigerian nationals in Gurgaon over their alleged involvement in a sophisticated cyber fraud scheme that targeted employees of Indian companies.

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The suspects, identified by authorities as Mr Ojo Uyiosa and another Nigerian known as James, were apprehended last Saturday by operatives of the Gurgaon police cybercrime unit in Haryana State.

According to investigators, the suspects allegedly impersonated company directors on WhatsApp and pressured employees into making urgent financial transfers to bank accounts controlled by the syndicate.

The Times of India reported on Wednesday that the arrests followed a digital trail traced from a suspicious phone number linked to the fraud operation.

Police investigations revealed that Mr Uyiosa entered India on a student visa in 2014, while his accomplice arrived in 2023 on a tourist visa.

Authorities said the duo allegedly worked with other Nigerian nationals to orchestrate the scheme, using false identities to convince staff members to transfer company funds under the guise of emergency directives from senior management.

Investigators disclosed that about 10 lakh rupees, equivalent to more than N15 million, was transferred into a Bandhan Bank account connected to the operation.

The account had reportedly been flagged in at least two previous cybercrime complaints, raising suspicions of a wider network.

Police said further inquiries indicated that the suspects were linked to multiple similar fraud cases employing the same impersonation method.

A formal criminal case was filed, and both suspects were arraigned before a court on Sunday, where they were remanded in police custody for three days to aid further investigation.

The cybercrime unit confirmed that WhatsApp was the primary communication tool used in the operation, while accomplices allegedly supplied bank accounts to receive and distribute the illicit proceeds.

Two mobile phones and three SIM cards suspected to have been used in the fraud were seized during the arrest.

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Authorities said efforts are ongoing to trace additional assets, identify other members of the network, and determine the full scope of the operation.