Nigerian man Farouk Adekunle Adepoju arrested in UK faces U.S. extradition over $235,000 cyber fraud.
DOJ says he spoofed a Pennsylvania university contractor’s email to divert payments into his account.
A Nigerian citizen, Farouk Adekunle Adepoju, has been arrested in the United Kingdom and is awaiting extradition to the United States on charges of cyber-enabled fraud totaling more than $235,000.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Adepoju was detained by U.K. authorities on September 15, 2025, following a request from U.S. prosecutors. He faces a seven-count indictment in the Western District of Pennsylvania, including six counts of wire fraud and one count of computer fraud.
Court filings allege that between March and April 2023, Adepoju gained unauthorized access to the email system of a construction company contracted by a Pennsylvania university. He allegedly altered account rules, registered a spoofed domain, and impersonated an employee through email.
By deceiving university staff into updating payment details to his fraudulent bank account, Adepoju reportedly diverted $235,266.80. The funds have not been recovered.
“Adepoju is charged with using sophisticated cyber means to illegally access accounts belonging to a business to victimize one of our region’s universities,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Troy Rivetti. “His arrest in the United Kingdom underscores our commitment to aggressively locate and prosecute cybercriminals worldwide.”
The FBI’s Pittsburgh Field Office, which led the investigation, warned that business email compromise (BEC) schemes remain among the costliest threats to global businesses and institutions.
“We will find you and bring you to justice, no matter where you might be,” said Special Agent in Charge Kevin Rojek.
If convicted, Adepoju faces a maximum of 20 years in prison per wire fraud charge and up to five years for the computer fraud count. His actual sentence would be determined under federal sentencing guidelines, considering factors such as criminal history.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark V. Gurzo with support from the DOJ’s Office of International Affairs.
