Two Nigerians Arrested in India for Alleged WhatsApp Impersonation Scam Targeting Company Staff

Gurgaon cyber crime police have arrested two Nigerian nationals in Delhi for allegedly posing as company directors on WhatsApp and deceiving employees into transferring money to bank accounts controlled by the suspects.

Police identified the accused as Ojo Uyiosa and James. The arrests were made on Saturday in the S-Block area of Nathupur by the Cyber Crime Police (East), Gurgaon, after investigators traced a suspicious phone number linked to the fraud.

According to officials, Uyiosa first entered India in 2014 on a student visa, while James arrived in 2023 on a tourist visa.

Investigators said the suspects, along with other associates, impersonated senior executives of companies and instructed employees to urgently transfer funds. The money was later distributed among members of the group.

Police said about ₹10 lakh was transferred into a Bandhan Bank account as part of the alleged fraud. Two cyber crime complaints had already been registered against the same account before the arrests.

During questioning, investigators found evidence suggesting the accused were involved in multiple similar cyber fraud cases using the same method.

A case has been registered, and the suspects were produced before a court on Sunday. The court remanded them to three days of police custody.

Authorities recovered two mobile phones and three SIM cards believed to have been used in the operation. Police said the suspects primarily used WhatsApp to communicate, while accomplices arranged bank accounts to receive the funds.

Officials added that efforts are ongoing to identify other members of the group, recover additional evidence, and determine the full scope of the fraud.