The cyber cell of the Mumbai police crime branch has traced and arrested two Nigerians, a man and a woman, for allegedly cheating a 22-year-old woman from Mumbai of '1.2 lakh in an online job fraud case.
The cyber cell has recovered four laptops, 12 mobile phones and a Honda Accord car suspected to be bought from the ill-gotten money. It is being investigated if the duo has a criminal record and if they have duped more persons using the same modus operandi.
A cyber cell official said it was an online fraud case involving Nigerians. The accused are Soji Orobe (38) and Esther Olivertuin (36). They were living on rent in a room in Pune. A special team formed by DCP, cyber cell, M. Raj Kumar went to Pune and nabbed the accused recently. They were produced before a magistrate’s court and have been remanded to police custody.
The complainant has completed her graduation in commerce and has made a profile on a popular job portal from where the two accused got her contact details. Last December, they posed as representatives of a luxury restaurant in the United States and sent her a ‘lucrative job offer’ for working with them in New York.
The complainant had no idea that she was being duped.
After exchanging some emails the complainant was asked to pay an amount as processing fees and for her visa. Like this, the duo managed to get '1.2 lakh from her.
The money was sent to a bank account. Senior police inspector, cyber cell, Sudhir Mahadik said that the duo splurged the money after withdrawing it from the bank.
After receiving the money, the duo broke off all communication with the complainant and she realised she had been duped. The entire con job took place through e-mails without use of mobile phone.
The complainant then approached the cyber cell in the second week of January and a first information report was registered under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Information Technology Act.
