Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force arrested a Nigerian national in Delhi for allegedly running a cyber fraud racket that used fake social media profiles of US and UK citizens to cheat Indian users on the pretext of sending expensive gifts and foreign currency, officials said.
Fake Profiles Used to Lure Victims
The accused has been identified as Uchenwa, a resident of Olo State in Nigeria who was living in south Delhi’s Khanpur area. He was arrested on Thursday night, according to a statement from the Special Task Force.
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Officials said the accused and his associates allegedly created fake profiles on Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, posing as foreign nationals. They befriended Indian users, both men and women, through these platforms and later lured them with promises of expensive gifts and foreign currency from abroad.
Victims Asked to Pay Customs and Tax Charges
The gang allegedly posed as customs or income tax officials after claiming that parcels sent to victims had been detained at airports. Victims were then asked to deposit money in the name of customs duty, income tax, GST and other charges.
The STF said the action was based on intelligence inputs about active Nigerian cyber fraud gangs operating through social media platforms. During the investigation, officials came across a complaint lodged by a Lucknow resident at the Madeyganj police station in 2026.
According to officials, the complainant was allegedly trapped in August 2025 by a fake Facebook profile of a UK-based woman identified as “Doris William.” The victim was later told that gifts and foreign currency worth around ₹3 crore had arrived at Delhi airport, after which he was allegedly asked to pay various charges. The STF said the victim transferred nearly ₹68 lakh in multiple transactions between 2025 and January 2026.
Police Probe Wider Racket
Three mobile phones and four SIM cards were seized from the accused. Officials said efforts are underway to identify and arrest other members of the gang and examine bank accounts, wallets and electronic devices linked to the racket.
During interrogation, the accused allegedly confessed that he had come to India in 2010 for the garment business but later joined cyber fraud activities after suffering losses, officials said. He also reportedly told investigators that he had earlier been arrested by Madhya Pradesh Police in a similar case in 2020 and had spent around four years in jail before resuming such activities after getting bail.
A case has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Information Technology Act, according to the statement.
