Farouk Adekunle Adepoju, a Nigerian man residing in the United Kingdom, was arrested by British authorities on September 15, 2025, following a request from the United States government.
He faces a seven-count indictment for wire fraud and computer fraud in the Western District of Pennsylvania.
According to the US Department of Justice, Adepoju allegedly hacked into the email system of a Pennsylvania construction company working for a university. Between March and April 2023, he remotely accessed the company’s computer, altered email rules, and created a spoofed domain.
He used these fake emails to send fraudulent instructions that tricked the university into transferring approximately $235,266 (₦365 million) into an account he controlled. The stolen funds have not been recovered.
Acting US Attorney Troy Rivetti described the case as a demonstration of cross-border enforcement against cybercrime, emphasizing that Adepoju used sophisticated means to illegally access accounts to victimize a regional university.
The FBI’s Pittsburgh Field Office led the investigation, with Special Agent Kevin Rojek warning that cybercriminals should not feel untouchable, stating, “The FBI and our partners are not going to let you get away with it.”
Adepoju faces six counts of wire fraud, each carrying a maximum sentence of 20 years, and one count of computer fraud, with a maximum sentence of five years.
Authorities stressed that an indictment is only an accusation, and Adepoju is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
