New Mexico, USA: In a disturbing new case of fraud, an Indian student in the U.S. has been arrested for attempting to scam a 71-year-old man out of $73,590. Mahendra Darbar, who is studying in the U.S. on a student visa, pretended to be a law enforcement officer and targeted elderly victim Jose Lopez.

Darbar traveled from Pennsylvania to New Mexico to carry out the deceptive scheme. Reports from U.S. media indicate that the elderly man withdrew the substantial sum and handed it over to Darbar under the false pretense of needing to settle alleged financial discrepancies.

The victim’s family has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help recover the lost funds, which were meant for retirement and medical expenses.

According to investigators, Darbar intimidated the victim by claiming there were issues with his bank accounts and threatening him with imprisonment if he failed to pay the supposed fine. For several days, he carried out the scam, ultimately deceiving the elderly man into handing over the money.

During questioning, Mahendra admitted to receiving such fraudulent assignments through WhatsApp groups, acknowledging his involvement in these illegal activities.

This case underscores the growing issue of scams targeting vulnerable individuals, with Darbar's actions leaving a stain on the reputation of international students.