Gurugram: Two Nigerian nationals have been apprehended by the police for allegedly defrauding a woman of ₹1.80 crore through various means after establishing a friendship with her on Instagram, authorities confirmed on Tuesday. The incident was reported by a local woman who approached the Manesar Police Station on April 10.
According to the victim’s complaint, she fell victim to a scam orchestrated by an individual she had met on Instagram last year. The suspect had identified himself as a pilot for British Airways, as per the victim’s statement to the police.
“The accused maintained regular communication with me. One day last year, he informed me that he was sending a gift parcel containing an iPhone, jewelry, and other items. Subsequently, on December 6, I received a call from a person claiming that a parcel had arrived in my name and I needed to pay ₹35,000 as a tax to claim it,” the woman stated in her complaint.
The victim transferred the specified amount to a bank account provided by the perpetrator. However, she was continuously pressured by her alleged friend to provide additional funds, citing various reasons such as ‘United National Anti-Terrorist Clearance‘ fees or penalties, the police revealed.
By the time she realized it was a scam, the woman had already transferred a total of ₹1.80 crore to the fraudster. Following her complaint, the Cyber Crime unit initiated an investigation, leading to the arrest of two individuals residing in Delhi’s Nihal Vihar Phase-2 area on Monday. The arrested individuals were identified as Nigerian nationals Ebuka Felixi and Chukwaka Ewere.
Upon their arrest, the police confiscated several items from the suspects, including a checkbook, 16 bank passbooks, 25 ATM cards, seven mobile phones with corresponding SIM cards, a laptop, a scooter, and ₹10,000 in cash. The accused were presented before a local court and have been remanded to police custody for four days.
“The two suspects are believed to be associated with the same gang that was apprehended by the police on May 11. We have taken them into custody for questioning during the police remand,” stated Varun Dahiya, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Crime.