Indian police have arrested two Nigerian nationals for allegedly impersonating company directors on WhatsApp to defraud employees in Gurgaon.
Cybercrime operatives said the suspects posed as senior executives of Indian firms and pressured staff to make urgent fund transfers into bank accounts controlled by their syndicate.
According to The Times of India, the suspects were identified as Ojo Uyiosa and another Nigerian known as James. They were arrested last Saturday after investigators traced a suspicious phone number linked to the scam.
Police disclosed that Uyiosa entered India in 2014 on a student visa, while James arrived in 2023 on a tourist visa.
Investigations revealed that the duo, allegedly working with other Nigerian nationals, targeted employees by impersonating company directors and demanding immediate financial transfers. The proceeds were later shared among members of the group.
Authorities said about 10 lakh rupees—estimated at over ₦15 million—was transferred into a Bandhan Bank account linked to the operation. The account had reportedly been flagged in two previous cybercrime complaints.
Further findings suggested that the suspects were involved in multiple similar fraud cases using the same method.
A formal charge 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 WhatsApp was the primary communication tool used to contact victims, while accomplices supplied bank accounts for receiving the funds. Two mobile phones and three SIM cards were recovered during the operation, as police continue investigations to identify other suspects, trace assets, and determine the full scale of the fraud.
