A Nigerian man based in the United Kingdom, Farouk Adekunle Adepoju, has been arrested by British authorities following a request from the United States government, after being indicted on charges of wire fraud and computer fraud.
According to prosecutors, Adepoju allegedly hacked into the email system of a Pennsylvania construction company working for a university and diverted payments meant for the firm.
The US Department of Justice (DOJ) disclosed in a statement on Thursday, September 18, that Adepoju was arrested on September 15, 2025, and is awaiting extradition to face a seven-count indictment in the Western District of Pennsylvania.
The indictment, unsealed the same day, accused Adepoju of remotely accessing a protected computer between March and April 2023.
He is alleged to have altered email rules, created a spoofed domain, and issued fraudulent instructions that tricked the university into transferring approximately $235,266 (₦365 million) into an account he controlled. Authorities confirmed that the stolen funds have not been recovered.
Acting US Attorney Troy Rivetti described the case as a demonstration of cross-border enforcement against cybercrime.
“Adepoju is charged with using sophisticated cyber means to illegally access accounts belonging to a business in order to victimise one of our region’s universities.
“His arrest in the United Kingdom underscores our unwavering commitment to prosecute cybercriminals worldwide,” Rivetti said.
The FBI’s Pittsburgh Field Office spearheaded the investigation. Its special agent in charge, Kevin Rojek, warned that cybercriminals should not feel untouchable.
“Criminals who think they can reach across the globe into the United States to line their pockets at the expense of the American public need know one thing: the FBI and our partners are not going to let you get away with it,” he said.
Adepoju faces six counts of wire fraud, each carrying a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison, and one count of computer fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of five years.
Authorities stressed that an indictment is only an accusation, and Adepoju is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
