Indian student, 21, held in US for attempting to scam elderly woman from North Carolina

Indian student Kishan Kumar Singh, who has been living in the Cincinnati area in Ohio on a student visa since 2024, was arrested on Thursday.

A 21-year-old Indian student has been arrested in the US after trying to scam a 78-year-old woman from North Carolina by posing as a law enforcement officer.

Indian student held in US. (iStockphoto)

Kishan Kumar Singh, who has been living in the Cincinnati area in Ohio on a student visa since 2024, was arrested on Thursday on charges of attempting to obtain property by false pretences and exploitation of a disabled or elderly adult.

Guilford County Sheriff’s Office (GCSO) said in a statement that its deputies were contacted by the victim who reported that she was getting phone calls from people claiming to be deputies with the GCSO as well as federal agents.

The victim from Stokesdale in North Carolina was told by callers that her bank accounts were compromised and was pressured into withdrawing a large amount of money for “safekeeping.” Deputies arrested Singh when he showed up to collect the package as a "federal agent", the statement said.

The callers told the woman that her name had been linked to criminal activity in another part of the country.

Singh is now in the Guilford County Detention Centre under a USD 1 million bond.