Suspects allegedly posed as company directors on WhatsApp to pressure employees into making urgent financial transfers

Operatives of the Indian police cybercrime unit in Gurgaon have arrested two Nigerian nationals for allegedly impersonating directors of Indian companies in a WhatsApp fraud scheme.

According to police findings, the suspects posed as company executives and contacted employees via WhatsApp, using stolen images and urgent messaging to pressure them into making immediate financial transfers.

The arrests followed an investigation triggered by a suspicious phone number linked to the fraudulent transactions. Authorities said digital analysis helped trace the number to the suspects.

The cybercrime unit identified the arrested individuals as Ojo Uyiosa and another Nigerian national known simply as James.

Police revealed that Uyiosa first arrived in India in 2014 on a student visa, while James entered the country in 2023 on a tourist visa.

Investigators disclosed that the duo allegedly worked alongside other Nigerian nationals, operating as part of a coordinated impersonation ring. Victims were reportedly deceived into transferring funds into bank accounts controlled by the group.

According to the investigation, about 10 lakh rupees—equivalent to over ₦15 million—was transferred into a Bandhan Bank account linked to the scheme.

Police further disclosed that the account had previously been flagged in two separate cybercrime complaints before the suspects were eventually arrested.