Nigerian Man Arrested in UK for $235K US University Cyber Fraud

Farouk Adekunle Adepoju, a Nigerian national residing in the United Kingdom, was arrested by British authorities on September 15, 2025, at the request of the United States government. This followed an indictment charging him with sophisticated cybercrimes involving wire fraud and computer fraud aimed at a university in Western Pennsylvania.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, between March and April 2023, Adepoju remotely hacked into the email system of a construction company contracted by the university. He manipulated the company’s email account settings, created a spoofed domain to impersonate company staff, and sent fraudulent payment instructions to the university. Believing the emails were legitimate, university officials altered their payment details, resulting in a transfer of approximately $235,266 to a bank account controlled by Adepoju. To date, the stolen funds have not been recovered.

The unsealed seven-count indictment charges Adepoju with six counts of wire fraud, each carrying a maximum prison sentence of 20 years, and one count of computer fraud, which carries up to five years. The FBI’s Pittsburgh Field Office led the investigation, with prosecution handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark V. Gurzo, supported by the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs.

Acting U.S. Attorney Troy Rivetti underscored the gravity of the crime, stating, “Adepoju is charged with using sophisticated cyber means to illegally access accounts belonging to a business in order to victimize one of our region’s universities.” He further emphasized that despite the geographical distance, Adepoju was within the investigative reach of the FBI.

ADVERTISEMENT

Kevin Rojek, FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge, issued a stern warning to global cybercriminals, affirming, “Email compromise schemes are among the costliest threats facing businesses and organizations today. The FBI and its partners will relentlessly pursue those who attempt to exploit American institutions, no matter where they are located.”

Adepoju is currently awaiting extradition to the United States to face the charges in the Western District of Pennsylvania. Authorities have reminded the public that indictment is an accusation, and Adepoju is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.