21-Year-Old from India Held on $1 Million Bond in North Carolina for Targeting Senior Citizen
Etawah Today Desk
In a deeply concerning incident that highlights rising scams targeting elderly citizens in the United States, authorities in Guilford County, North Carolina, arrested a 21-year-old Indian student, Kishan Kumar Singh, for allegedly impersonating a federal law enforcement officer and attempting to defraud a 78-year-old woman.
According to the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office, Singh falsely claimed to the elderly victim that someone had compromised her bank accounts. He then pressured her into withdrawing a large sum of money for ‘safekeeping’, promising to protect her from financial loss. Authorities say Singh went so far as to show up in person to collect the package, dressed as a federal agent.
Singh, who had reportedly been living near Cincinnati, Ohio, entered the U.S. on a student visa in 2024. His actions have landed him in the Guilford County Detention Center, with a bond set at $1 million. He now faces multiple felony charges, including attempted fraud and exploitation of an elderly person.
“Scammers are targeting seniors in nursing homes and assisted living facilities, pretending to be law enforcement and demanding money,” the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office warned in a public alert on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
“We will NEVER call you and ask for money. Educate yourself and your loved ones.”
This arrest comes amid a surge in similar scams involving Indian students. Just weeks earlier, two other Indian nationals — Mahammadilham Vahora and Hajiali Vahora, both 24 — were arrested in El Paso County under similar charges. They too posed as government agents and attempted to coerce money from an elderly victim. Officials say these cases are now part of a larger federal investigation into fraud targeting vulnerable senior citizens across the U.S.
As law enforcement agencies urge the public to remain cautious, the case has drawn attention from both American and Indian communities, raising questions about the role of student visa holders in scam networks and the importance of awareness campaigns for vulnerable populations.
