Key Takeaways
• Kishan Kumar Singh, 21, arrested in North Carolina for scamming elderly woman as fake federal agent.
• Indian students in Colorado and Massachusetts charged with similar scams targeting elderly, using cryptocurrency and false threats.
• Felony convictions threaten student visas, leading to deportation and lifetime bans for those involved in elderly fraud.
Reports show a troubling series of events where Indian students have been arrested in the United States 🇺🇸 for pretending to be government officials in scams that target elderly people. The most recent event centers on 21-year-old Kishan Kumar Singh, who now faces serious felony charges after an incident in North Carolina 🇺🇸. Other cases in Colorado 🇺🇸 and Massachusetts 🇺🇸 highlight a growing problem that puts both victims and young Indian students at risk.
Let’s take a close look at what happened, why these scams are happening, and what this means for Indian students, older victims, and the future of student visas in the United States 🇺🇸.
North Carolina Scam: The Case of Kishan Kumar Singh
On May 5, 2025, North Carolina authorities arrested Kishan Kumar Singh, a 21-year-old student from India 🇮🇳 living near Cincinnati, Ohio 🇺🇸. He was in the United States 🇺🇸 on a student visa since 2024. Police say Singh took part in a plan to trick a 78-year-old woman by pretending to be a federal agent.
Sheriff Danny H. Rogers confirmed that Singh was arrested by the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office (GCSO). Here’s how the scam worked:
- The 78-year-old woman got threatening phone calls. The callers said they were federal agents and sheriff’s deputies.
- The callers lied, telling her that her bank accounts were linked to crimes in another state.
- They said she needed to withdraw a large sum of cash for “safekeeping.”
- Singh went to the woman’s home, pretending to be a federal agent, and tried to collect the money.
Police were careful in their investigation, and Singh was caught when he showed up at the victim’s home. He is now facing charges of Attempted Obtaining Property by False Pretenses and Exploitation of an Elder Adult. These are serious felonies in North Carolina. Authorities are holding him at the Guilford County Detention Center, with bail set at $1 million.
This case has shocked both the Indian student community and Americans, raising big questions about trust, safety, and how easy it can be for scammers to target older people.
The Wider Problem: More Arrests of Indian Students
This is not the first time Indian students have been connected to these types of scams in the United States 🇺🇸. Just days before the North Carolina arrest, another case surfaced in Colorado, showing that these scams may be part of a bigger, worrying trend.
Colorado Case: El Paso County
On May 2, 2025, two Indian students, Muhammad Damora and Ali, both 24, were arrested in El Paso County, Colorado. They were studying at East West University in Chicago 🇺🇸 on student visas.
In this incident:
- The students called an elderly person, said they were government agents, and made threats.
- They told the victim that their identity or money was in danger.
- The victim was pressured to send money using cryptocurrency ATMs—a high-tech way of moving money that is hard to trace.
- The students also demanded that the victim buy and hand over gold.
Police in Colorado investigated the case and made arrests. The story spread quickly, alerting more people to the dangers of these phone scams.
Massachusetts Case: Varun Nallure Balaji
In another case, 23-year-old Indian student Varun Nallure Balaji was arrested in Massachusetts. Reports say he tricked a 78-year-old woman by pretending to be a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent. He told her she was under investigation for drug trafficking and money laundering. Afraid, the woman handed over $30,000 in cash.
This type of scam shows just how far these criminals go. By using fear and official-sounding titles, they get victims to act quickly, often handing over large amounts of money before talking to police or family members.
Why Are Elderly People Targeted?
Scams like these focus on elderly Americans because they often:
- Trust authority figures
- May not know about common phone or online scams
- Have savings built up that criminals want to steal
- Can be frightened easily by threats of arrest or account closures
Statistics provide a clear picture. In 2023 alone, Americans lost over $2.7 billion to impostor scams, according to recent reports. Many of these cases involve callers pretending to be police, federal agents, or other government workers—roles that seem trustworthy or scary enough to make people act quickly.
Elderly victims sometimes do not understand how fast money can move online with tools like cryptocurrency ATMs. This makes it even harder for police to recover what was stolen.
Impact on Indian Students
These arrests do more than damage the lives of the elderly victims. They also have life-changing effects on the Indian students involved:
- Criminal Charges: The students face felony charges in the United States 🇺🇸. These are serious crimes that can lead to long jail time.
- Visa Revocation: Students found guilty of felonies can lose their student visas. This means they can be forced to leave the country and may not be allowed to return.
- Deportation: After serving jail time (if convicted), students can be deported back to India 🇮🇳 and might struggle to get visas for travel anywhere in the future.
The United States 🇺🇸 has strict rules about students on visas. Being arrested for fraud, especially scams that target older people, is almost guaranteed to result in losing legal immigration status. For Indian students dreaming of studying, working, and living in America, this is a risky and devastating outcome.
VisaVerge.com’s investigation reveals that even a single criminal conviction can lead to a lifetime ban from entering many countries, including the United States 🇺🇸. This risk should be well known to all international students.
Why Are Some Indian Students Involved?
These cases raise important questions. Most Indian students in the United States 🇺🇸 follow the law, work hard at their studies, and want to build a good life. However, some get pulled into criminal activities because of:
- Money problems—living in America is expensive, and some may not have enough support from home.
- Misunderstandings—believing that scams are less risky or serious than they are.
- Pressure from groups or friends—sometimes students join in to help someone else or for a quick cash reward.
It’s a painful reality that a few bad decisions by some can hurt the image of the many Indian students who follow the rules and contribute to American society.
The Legal Process for Arrested International Students
Once an international student like Kishan Kumar Singh is arrested, several things can happen:
- Police Investigation: Authorities gather evidence and charge the student with the crime.
- Detention: A student might be held in jail, sometimes with a very high bond, like Singh’s $1 million.
- Court Hearings: Students must appear before a judge, often needing strong legal help.
- Immigration Review: Immigration officials check if the student’s visa should be revoked due to criminal activity.
- Deportation Proceedings: If convicted, the student may be ordered to leave the United States 🇺🇸 once they finish their jail time.
Indian students, their families, and university administrators should be aware of these processes. Deportation or loss of a visa can also make it hard to get visas for other countries, impacting future education and career hopes.
For exact details on visa rules for international students in the United States 🇺🇸, you can review the guidelines on the official U.S. Department of State – Student Visa page.
How Are Schools and Law Enforcement Responding?
Universities, especially ones with large numbers of Indian students, are paying close attention. They regularly remind students that following the law is just as important as good grades.
Some responses include:
- Orientation sessions on U.S. laws and what counts as a crime
- Email reminders about avoiding fraud and staying safe
- Workshops showing how scams work and how to report them
- Hotlines and counseling for students who need help
Law enforcement agencies are warning both students and older adults to watch for these scams. Sheriff departments now tell people:
- Be careful of any call from someone asking for personal information, bank details, or money.
- Do not send cash, gift cards, or cryptocurrency to unknown people.
- Hang up and call local police if the call seems suspicious.
Groups supporting Indian students are working to repair the trust that has been broken by these crimes. They stress that most Indian students are honest, hardworking, and kind. Right now, everyone is watching how American prosecutors, immigration officials, and schools will handle both punishment and prevention.
Preventing Scams: What Can Be Done?
Stopping these scams for good means everyone must work together. Here are some steps being taken and some that experts recommend:
- Better Education for Students: Schools should teach more about fraud and the real-life risks of breaking the law.
- Clear Warnings to the Elderly: Community centers and news outlets should warn older adults about new scam tactics, including calls from fake agents.
- Faster Action by Law Enforcement: Sharing information about scam cases quickly can help catch criminals before they strike again.
- Improved Technology: Banks and cryptocurrency companies can design alerts to help stop strange or large transfers.
- Support for Victims: Councils and support groups must help scam victims deal with stress and loss.
The recent scams, especially those involving people like Kishan Kumar Singh, make it clear that rules need to be clear and enforcement needs to be strong.
What Indian Students and Families Need to Know
If you are an Indian student—or a family planning to send a son or daughter to study in the United States 🇺🇸—consider these points:
- Breaking the law, even just once, can ruin your education and future in the United States 🇺🇸.
- Do not take part in money offers or plans that seem “too good to be true.”
- If you’re ever unsure about a job offer, phone call, or request, talk to your university or local police before getting involved.
- Know your rights and the rules of your visa. Keep up-to-date by following official sources like the U.S. Department of State.
- Help other Indian students stay out of trouble by sharing warnings and good advice.
Final Thoughts
The cases involving Kishan Kumar Singh in North Carolina, as well as the arrests in Colorado and Massachusetts, serve as powerful reminders that scams can have real-life effects that go far beyond money lost. While most Indian students in the United States 🇺🇸 are honest and want to succeed, a few have caused great harm by breaking the law.
For the United States 🇺🇸, these stories show why it’s important to protect older people from phone and internet scams. For Indian students, the stories are a warning that mistakes or crimes can end dreams, lead to jail, and make future travel or work in other countries impossible.
Schools, law enforcement, families, and Indian students themselves all have a part to play in stopping these problems before they start. Working together, everyone can help keep students safe, keep older people from being tricked, and make sure the friendship between India 🇮🇳 and the United States 🇺🇸 remains strong.
Learn Today
Student Visa → A government document allowing foreign students to study legally in another country, like the United States, for a set time.
Felony → A serious crime, such as fraud or exploitation, that can result in long-term imprisonment or deportation if convicted.
Deportation → The legal process of expelling a non-citizen from a country, often after criminal conviction or visa violation.
Impostor Scam → A fraudulent scheme where criminals pretend to be officials or trusted figures to trick victims into handing over money or information.
Cryptocurrency ATM → A machine allowing people to buy or transfer digital currency, often used in scams to send untraceable funds quickly.
This Article in a Nutshell
A wave of arrests among Indian students in the United States highlights an alarming trend—scams that target elderly victims. Recent cases, including Kishan Kumar Singh’s arrest in North Carolina, reveal how impersonation, false threats, and misuse of student visas lead to severe legal, immigration, and reputational consequences for those involved.
— By VisaVerge.com
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