Authorities in India have apprehended a Nigerian national, Oliver Ugwu Okechukwu, 47, for deceiving a woman from Ilkal town in Karnataka’s Bagalkot district, stealing approximately Rs 5.5 lakh (around N9.5 million) through a fraudulent marriage scheme.
According to Siddarth Goel, Superintendent of Police in Bagalkot, officers from the Cyber Economic and Narcotics (CEN) unit captured Okechukwu in Mumbai after an extensive inquiry.
Reports from the Times of India reveal that Okechukwu resided in Mumbai’s Shivaji Nagar Bonkode Ganv area, Khairane Thane, and operated by tricking women on matrimonial websites. He fabricated multiple false identities, specifically targeting divorcees or vulnerable women desiring new relationships.
In this case, the suspect impersonated a man named “Satya Amit”, who claimed to live in London and portrayed himself as a prosperous professional eager to marry. After establishing trust with his victim online, he convinced her of his intentions.
About 18 months ago, Okechukwu contacted the woman, stating he had arrived in India but was trapped by customs officials, who allegedly confiscated foreign currency valued at Rs 1 crore. He begged for her assistance to pay Rs 5.5 lakh urgently to resolve the problem.
Believing his story, the woman transferred the funds through RTGS to a bank account he provided. Following receipt of the money, the fraudster immediately cut off all communication and vanished. The victim later reported the scam to cybercrime authorities in Bagalkot.
SP Goel confirmed the defendant used various bank accounts under false names to carry out his fraudulent operations. Investigations are underway to ascertain whether Okechukwu victimized others across the country.
Officials say enhanced cyber surveillance measures are being implemented in response to a surge in foreign-related fraud cases.
Currently detained, Okechukwu faces prosecution under India’s cybercrime and fraud statutes.
Why St. Clair’s Grok case threatens all AI image generators
January 19, 2026
