Yet Another Indian Student Arrested For Defrauding Seniors

India-West News Desk

RALIEIGH, NC – A 21-year-old Indian student has been arrested in North Carolina for impersonating a law enforcement officer in an elaborate scam targeting an elderly woman, in what appears to be a growing and troubling trend involving Indian students across the U.S.

Kishan Kumar Singh, who had been residing near Cincinnati, Ohio, on a student visa since 2024, was taken into custody in Guilford County after attempting to collect a package of money from a 78-year-old woman under the pretense of being a federal agent. According to the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office, the victim was convinced that her bank accounts had been compromised and was pressured into withdrawing a significant sum for “safekeeping.”

Singh was apprehended when he arrived to retrieve the money in person. He now faces felony charges including attempted obtaining of property by false pretenses and exploitation of an elder adult. He is currently being held at the Guilford County Detention Center on a $1 million bond.

The Guilford County Sheriff’s Office warned, “Scammers are targeting seniors in nursing homes and assisted living facilities, pretending to be law enforcement and demanding money. We will NEVER call you and ask for money. Educate yourself and your loved ones.”

The arrest comes amid similar incidents involving Indian students on U.S. soil.

In April, two Indian nationals, Mahammadilham Vahora and Hajiali Vahora—both 24 and students at East-West University—were arrested in El Paso, Texas, in connection with a multi-layered fraud scheme. The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office said the duo posed as government agents and threatened an elderly resident into handing over money via a cryptocurrency ATM and gold bullion.

Just weeks prior, Hardik Jayantilal Patel, another Indian national, was sentenced to 46 months in prison for orchestrating a $3.2 million scam that primarily targeted senior citizens across the United States.