Indian student in US arrested for impersonating a 'federal agent' to dupe 78-year-old woman

A 21-year-old Indian student in the US was arrested in North Carolina for allegedly impersonating a "federal agent" to scam a 78-year-old woman.

The accused, identified as Kishan Kumar Singh , was taken into custody by deputies from the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office after the woman reported receiving phone calls from individuals claiming to be deputies with the GCSO as well as federal agents.

“Sheriff Danny H Rogers reports that deputies arrested 21-year-old Kishan Kumar Singh, an international student from India, after he tried to scam a 78-year-old woman by pretending to be law enforcement,” the sheriff’s office said in an official statement.

"The victim was told 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.' He’s now in the Guilford County Detention Center under a $1 million bond, facing felony charges including Attempted Obtaining Property by False Pretenses and Exploitation of an Elder Adult," it added.

According to authorities, the callers falsely informed her that her name was linked to criminal activity elsewhere in the country and that her bank accounts had been compromised.

She was then coerced into withdrawing a large sum of money for so-called "safekeeping." Deputies arrested Singh when he arrived at her residence to collect the money package under the guise of being a federal agent.

Singh is currently being held at the Guilford County Detention Center on a \$1 million bond. He faces multiple felony charges, including Attempted Obtaining Property by False Pretenses and Exploitation of an Elder Adult.

Local reports indicate that Singh had been living in the Cincinnati, Ohio area on a student visa since 2024.