The Cyber Cell of Delhi Police, India, has arrested a Nigerian national, Patrick Ngomere, for allegedly hacking the email account of Family Care Pvt. Limited, a pharmaceutical company, and fraudulently siphoning Rs 11.73 lakh.
The suspect, who is also accused of residing in India without a valid visa, is believed to be part of a larger syndicate involved in various cyber frauds across the country.
Millennium Post, an Indian online news platform, reported that, according to a statement by the country’s National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal on Friday, the suspect had confessed to the crime.
Using XE.com, a currency conversion platform, the Rs 11.73 lakh (Rs 1,173,000) that Ngomere siphoned from the pharmaceutical company is equivalent to $13,361.
Ngomere, a resident of Greater Noida, was apprehended in a police trap near an ATM after his mobile phone was found linked to the fraudulent bank account.
The report indicated that the scam began on December 10 when the pharmaceutical company received an email impersonating its vendor, Accent Pharma, requesting payment to a new bank account.
Unaware of the fraudulent email, the pharmaceutical company allegedly transferred Rs 11.76 lakh.
It was reported that the company realized the email had been hacked only after making the payment and conducting a verification. This led to a detailed investigation by the country’s cyber fraud unit.
The report stated, “Investigators traced the hacked email to Nigeria and tracked the money to a Manipur bank account. Surveillance footage led to Ngomere’s arrest.”
“He was found without a valid Indian visa and is suspected to be part of a larger syndicate. An FIR has been registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Foreigners Act. Investigations continue.”
