Three Nigerian nationals have been taken into custody by Gurugram Police for allegedly running a scam that involved posing as women on social media to trick victims out of money.

Investigators say the group connected with people online, gained their trust, and then requested cash using fake stories. One victim told police he met a woman on Instagram in April 2025. She said she was in India and needed nearly Rs 70,000 to clear a cheque at Mumbai airport. After he sent the funds, she asked for more payments, which raised his suspicion.

The arrests were made during a late-night operation in Noida. The suspects were named as Chinedu, James Sunday, and Jules Cacau. Police reported that James Sunday crossed into India illegally from Bangladesh in 2022. Chinedu and Jules entered on student visas in 2018 and 2017 but remained in the country after the visas expired.

Authorities recovered 19 phones, a laptop, and 18 SIM cards—both Nigerian and foreign—from the suspects. Officials believe the foreign SIMs were used for WhatsApp conversations to make it seem like the scammers were contacting victims from overseas.

The three were presented before a court and held for one day of police questioning. They now face charges under India’s Passport Act and Foreigners Act.