A Nigerian national was on Sunday arrested for duping a woman to the tune of Rs2 crore after befriending her on Facebook. The accused, identified as Aikhomun Kelvin, was nabbed from Khirki Extension on Saturday. Police also recovered a few electronic items from his possession, believed to have been purchased from the same money. The accused was, reportedly, part of a gang with both Indian and Nigerian members. Indians were mostly used to call people and lure them into paying up.
According to Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) Ravindra Yadav, the plan unravelled after the victim befriended one Micheal on Facebook. On November 2, 2013, a woman — claiming to be the Assistant Registration Officer (Customs) — called the victim to inform her that Michael has been detained at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport for possessing diamond jewellery and excessive cash without any “anti-terrorism certificate,” Yadav added.
The victim, hearing this, came up with Rs2 lakh to save Micheal, but received another call the next day that Michael has refused to take the cash and jewellery back with him and victim can collect the same from the Customs if she agrees to deposit some amount in the said account number. She deposited the demanded money, but could not recover any of the promised cash and jewellery.
On February 24, 2014, she received another call by some Egobia Bobby, on Michael’s behalf, who asked her to visit Bengaluru if she wanted her money back and make more instead. On visiting Bengaluru Bobby showed her some black strips and assured her that if she washed them with a particular liquid, the strips would turn into US dollars.
The woman bought the liquid, after which she received another call informing her that the trick of converting the strips into dollars was discovered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) at Kolkata Airport and Rs 95 lakh would be required to get off the CBI’s hook. On realising that she has paid them at least Rs2 crore so far, and all for no gain, she informed the Delhi Police Crime Branch.
It was revealed later that Aikhomun Kelvin had been posing as Bobby and her Facebook friend all this while. His UK passport and driving licence were also found to be fake, Yadav added.