By Okiki Adeduyite
A Nigerian living in the United Kingdom, Farouk Adekunle Adepoju, has been arrested by British authorities following a request from the United States government after he was indicted on charges of wire fraud and computer fraud.
According to US prosecutors, Adepoju hacked into the email system of a Pennsylvania construction company working for a university, then created fake accounts to impersonate staff and divert payment.
The US Department of Justice, in a statement on its website on Thursday, said Adepoju, who was arrested on September 15, 2025, is awaiting extradition to face a seven-count indictment in the Western District of Pennsylvania.
The indictment, unsealed on Thursday, alleged that between March and April 2023, Adepoju remotely accessed a protected computer belonging to the construction company.
He allegedly altered email rules, set up a spoofed domain, and used it to send fraudulent payment instructions to the university.
Acting US attorney, Troy Rivetti, said, “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.
Relying on the emails, the university updated the construction firm’s payment details to a fraudulent account controlled by Adepoju, transferring about $235,266.
“Even from halfway across the world, however, Adepoju was not beyond the investigative reach of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. His arrest in the United Kingdom underscores our district’s unwavering commitment to aggressively locate and prosecute cybercriminals worldwide with the assistance of our law enforcement partners—both here and abroad.”
FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge, Kevin Rojek, added, “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.
“We will find you and bring you to justice, no matter where you might be. Email compromise schemes are not victimless crimes; they are one of the costliest threats large and small businesses, universities, and organisations face today.”
Adepoju faces six counts of wire fraud and one count of computer fraud.
Each wire fraud charge carries a maximum of 20 years in prison, while the computer fraud charge carries up to five years.
The FBI’s Pittsburgh Field Office led the investigation, while Assistant US Attorney Mark V. Gurzo is prosecuting the case with support from the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs.
Authorities stressed that an indictment is only an accusation, and Adepoju is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Punch.
