13th August, 2021
A suspected Nigerian scammer, Godwin Irje has been arrested by the North Cyber Police in New Delhi, India for allegedly duping two women from Mumbai.
Irje reportedly befriend the women on social media while impersonating a UK national and tricking them into transferring money.
The Indian police suspected that the accused had duped several other women using the same tactics to obtain money from them.
The Indian Express reports that Irje,38, who was staying on rent at Kakarola housing complex on Palam Road in the national capital, was arrested last week by the police.
His aides Hamed Sora alias Irak Chris (28), also a Nigerian national, and Rubini Gunshekran (24), both residents of Delhi, were arrested earlier this year by the Navi Mumbai Police. Gunshekran is a native of Chennai.
According to the police, the two Nigerians had come to India several years back and continued to stay in the country illegally even after their visas expired.
The police alleged that the accused had created fake profiles on Facebook and Instagram of foreign nationals, especially UK nationals, and sent friend requests to over 1,000 people.
The police explained that some of the women, who accepted the request, were then befriended through frequent chats over a course of few weeks.
The police added that the fraudster would tell them that he was sending a costly gift by cargo service and that within days, Gunshekran, impersonating a customs or income tax officer, would call the victims again and tell them that a gift with a lot of cash and gold had been received at the international airport in their name and coerce them to transfer money for money laundering or evading taxes.
The victims, fearing they may be booked, would often end up transferring several lakhs.
Mangesh Desai, Police inspector from north cyber police station said they have managed to recover Rs 8.76 lakh from different bank accounts opened by the accused so far.
Other items recovered from the suspects included 17 ATM cards, a pen drive, two passbooks, four cheque books, four mobile phones, a tab and a laptop.