Indian authorities have apprehended a 38-year-old Nigerian, Samuel Ogun, popularly known as Stepney Derick, over his alleged involvement in defrauding women through matrimonial websites.
The suspect was arrested in Faridabad, Haryana, by operatives of the Cybercrime Branch of the Noida Police, following complaints from victims.
Police said two women based in Noida reported losing large sums of money to the suspect in separate incidents. One of the cases, reported in January 2020, involved a loss of about ₹1.26 crore, while another complaint filed in May 2025 indicated a loss of approximately ₹56.40 lakh.
The Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Cybercrime), Shavya Goyal, explained that the suspect allegedly created false identities, presenting himself as a wealthy foreign businessman to deceive unsuspecting victims.
According to her, Ogun would establish romantic connections online before claiming to be facing legal or customs-related challenges while attempting to travel to India, thereby convincing the women to send money.
She noted that both victims initially met the suspect on matrimonial platforms and later transferred funds after he claimed to be stranded due to legal complications.
Investigations further revealed that the suspect used similar tactics in multiple cases, including claims that valuable items he intended to send were seized by customs officials or that he had been detained at an airport over issues related to foreign currency.
He would then request payments in Indian rupees under the guise of resolving the alleged issues.
Police also uncovered that the suspect maintained contact with about 15 to 16 women at the same time using different aliases, with several complaints against him recorded on India’s National Cybercrime Reporting Portal across different regions.
A search conducted at his residence in Faridabad on Wednesday led to the recovery of several items, including five mobile phones, a laptop, a tablet device, a Wi-Fi router, a dongle, multiple SIM cards, foreign currency, and two fake passports bearing different identities, as well as forged documents.
Authorities said the suspect has been charged in court, while investigations are ongoing.
The recovered electronic devices have been forwarded for forensic examination to help identify additional victims and trace the financial transactions linked to the alleged fraud.
Police also believe the suspect frequently travelled abroad to secure new identities whenever his existing ones were compromised.
