Nigerian man arrested in India for duping women through matrimonial sites

A 38-year-old Nigerian national, Samuel Ogun (alias Stepney Derick), has been arrested in Faridabad, Haryana, for allegedly defrauding multiple women through matrimonial websites, police announced on Thursday.

The Cybercrime Branch of Noida Police received at least two formal complaints from women residents of Noida. The first complaint, filed in January 2020, alleged a loss of ₹1.26 crore. The second, lodged in May 2025, reported a loss of ₹56.40 lakh.

According to Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Cybercrime) Shavya Goyal, the suspect posed as a wealthy foreign businessman and built romantic relationships online. He later claimed to be facing legal or customs issues while planning to relocate to India, convincing victims to send money to resolve the supposed problems.

“In both cases, the women connected with the accused through matrimonial websites. They lost money after the accused claimed to have run into legal trouble while coming to India,” Goyal explained.

The officer further detailed the modus operandi: the suspect would promise to send premium gifts that were allegedly held by customs, or claim he was detained at the airport with foreign currency, requesting victims to transfer funds in Indian rupees to secure his release.

During the investigation, police discovered Ogun was simultaneously in contact with around 15–16 women under different aliases. Multiple cases against him have been reported on the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP) across various districts.

As per Indian Times, on Wednesday, a police team raided his Faridabad residence and recovered five mobile phones, a laptop, a tablet, a Wi-Fi router, a dongle, several SIM cards, foreign currency, two fake passports bearing different identities, and forged documents.

“The suspect, who was arrested from Faridabad on Wednesday, also had two fake passports,” Goyal added. “He was produced before the court and further investigation is underway.”

All seized devices have been sent for forensic examination to uncover additional victims and trace financial trails. Police suspect the accused frequently travelled abroad to obtain new fake identities whenever one became compromised.