Indian Police arrest three Nigerian men for duping woman of N4.9 million

Three Nigerian nationals have been arrested by Delhi Police for allegedly running a cyber fraud network that defrauded a local woman of ₹2.62 lakh (approximately N4.9 million).

The suspects—identified as Lezhu John, Gibril Mohammed, and Egboola Ekena—were arrested on Friday in connection with an elaborate scheme involving the use of fake bank accounts and social media profiles to target victims.

Investigators revealed that the suspects were part of an extensive online scam operation. They had reportedly purchased over 500 bank accounts from various groups across India, using either genuine or forged documents. These accounts were instrumental in transferring and laundering the proceeds of their fraudulent activities.

M.M. Rajput, Assistant Commissioner of Police (Cybercrime), stated that the suspects had overstayed their visas and turned to cyber fraud as a source of income.

“They were systematically transferring large sums between accounts to obscure the trail of the stolen funds,” said Rajput.

The arrests followed intelligence gathering and analysis of bank transactions. Further evidence was discovered on the suspects’ mobile phones, including hundreds of photographs of men and women used to create fake social media profiles aimed at luring victims.

The scam came to light after a woman lodged a complaint with the Cybercrime Police Station, claiming she had been defrauded of ₹2.62 lakh by the gang.

This triggered an investigation that ultimately uncovered the suspects’ connection to a broader network of fraudsters.

Police officials are now working to trace the origins of the purchased bank accounts and identify other groups involved in supplying such details.

Efforts are also underway to determine the full scope of the gang’s operations and locate additional victims.