British authorities have arrested a Nigerian national, Farouk Adekunle Adepoju, at the request of the United States government after he was indicted on charges of wire fraud and computer fraud.
According to US prosecutors, Adepoju infiltrated the email system of a Pennsylvania-based construction company working for a university. He allegedly created fake accounts to impersonate staff and redirected payments meant for the company.
The US Department of Justice (DOJ), in a statement on Thursday, said Adepoju was arrested in the United Kingdom on September 15, 2025, and is awaiting extradition to face a seven-count indictment in the Western District of Pennsylvania.
Court documents allege that between March and April 2023, Adepoju remotely accessed a protected computer belonging to the construction firm. He then altered email rules, registered a spoofed domain, and used it to send fraudulent payment instructions to the university. Acting on those emails, the university changed the company’s payment details and transferred $235,266 into an account controlled by Adepoju. The funds have not been recovered.
Commenting on the case, 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.”
The DOJ emphasized that Adepoju’s arrest highlights international cooperation against cybercrime. “Even from halfway across the world, Adepoju was not beyond the investigative reach of the FBI. His arrest underscores our district’s commitment to locate and prosecute cybercriminals worldwide with the support of law enforcement partners,” the statement read.
FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge, Kevin Rojek, warned cybercriminals that geography offers no protection: “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 to know one thing: the FBI and our partners will not let you get away with it. We will find you and bring you to justice. Email compromise schemes are not victimless crimes; they are among the costliest threats faced by businesses, universities, and organizations today.”
Adepoju faces six counts of wire fraud and one count of computer fraud. Each wire fraud charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, while the computer fraud charge carries up to five years.
The FBI’s Pittsburgh Field Office led the investigation. Assistant US Attorney Mark V. Gurzo is prosecuting the case with support from the DOJ’s Office of International Affairs.
Authorities stressed that an indictment is only an accusation and that Adepoju remains presumed innocent until proven guilty.
ADEOLA KUNLE
