On Tuesday, September 23, 2025, Farouk Adekunle Adepoju, a 42-year-old Nigerian citizen residing in the United Kingdom, was arrested by U.K. authorities on September 15, 2025, following a U.S. extradition request for charges of wire fraud and computer fraud involving the theft of $235,266.80 from a Western Pennsylvania university, as announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Troy Rivetti (Web:0, Web:2, Web:3). Adepoju, awaiting extradition to the Western District of Pennsylvania, faces a seven-count indictment unsealed on September 18, 2025, including six counts of wire fraud and one count of computer fraud, carrying maximum penalties of 20 years and five years in prison, respectively (Web:0, Web:3).
Between March and April 2023, Adepoju allegedly hacked a construction company’s computer system, altered email rules, created a spoofed email account, and tricked the university into transferring funds to a fraudulent bank account, which remain unrecovered (Web:0, Web:2). The scheme exploited vulnerabilities in the CARES Act’s Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (Web:3). FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Kevin Rojek emphasized that criminals cannot evade justice, even abroad (Web:0). X posts from @DOJPH (September 18, 2025) detailed the charges, while @Naija_Activist noted 74% public concern over cyber fraud’s $6 billion annual impact in Nigeria (EFCC, 2024) (Post:3). The case, investigated by the FBI, IRS-Criminal Investigations, and DOT OIG, underscores global efforts against transnational fraud (Web:0).
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