Indian student's Reddit confession goes horribly wrong

Summary

A 19-year-old Indian student, Arian Anand, admitted to a U.S. university through a meticulously planned fraud involving fake documents, including a forged death certificate of his father. His Reddit post detailing his fraudulent journey and fears of retribution led to his exposure and deportation. Despite receiving a full scholarship, Anand continued to cheat academically and secured an internship under false pretenses. His confession on Reddit resulted in his arrest and charges of forgery and theft, with the university opting to report him to India rather than pressing for a $85,000 restitution and a potential 20-year prison term.

Takeaways

• 📚 A 19-year-old Indian student, Aran Anand, admitted to a US university through a series of fraudulent activities.
• 🎓 He used fake documents, including a marksheet and a fake death certificate of his father, to secure admission at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania.
• 🤔 Aran expressed moral conflict and fear of future consequences in an anonymous Reddit post, indicating his actions were wrong but hadn't faced problems yet.
• 🏫 The student's academic journey began to falter in class 10, with the cancellation of board exams, leading to a lack of interest in competitive exams.
• 🎬 Aran confessed to spending time watching horror movies instead of studying, and struggling with subjects like physics and chemistry.
• 📝 He devised a detailed plan to apply for foreign colleges, starting with editing his marksheets and getting a cover letter written by a professional service.
• 🚫 Despite facing rejections, Aran secured admission and a full scholarship from Lehigh University, which also covered his meal costs after he lied about his father's death.
• 💡 Aran considered changing his ways and studying seriously but reverted to cheating on exams and even secured an internship by falsifying his academic standing.
• 📡 His life took a turn when he posted his fraudulent scheme on Reddit, which led to his exposure and deportation from the US.
• 🔍 A moderator from the subreddit recognized the authenticity of Aran's story and contacted Lehigh University, prompting an investigation.
• 🏛️ Aran was arrested and charged with forgery and other crimes, but the university decided against pressing charges for the financial loss, opting for his deportation instead.

Q & A

Who is the student mentioned in the script and what did he do?

The student mentioned is Arian Anand, a 19-year-old from India, who committed fraud to gain admission to Lehigh University in Pennsylvania.

What kind of fraudulent activities did Arian Anand engage in to get admitted to the US university?

Arian Anand used fake documents, including falsified marksheets and a fake death certificate of his father, to secure admission and a full scholarship at Lehigh University.

How did Arian Anand expose his own fraudulent activities?

Arian Anand indirectly exposed himself by posting a detailed confession of his fraudulent activities on Reddit.

What did Arian Anand do to convince the university to cover his meal costs?

Arian Anand lied to the university, claiming that his father had died of cancer and that his mother would only receive half of his father's salary as a pension, which led the university to cover his meal costs.

What was Arian Anand's academic situation after he arrived in the US?

After arriving in the US, Arian Anand continued to cheat on his exams and later forged documents to secure an internship, as he was not interested in studying.

How did the Reddit post lead to Arian Anand's deportation?

A moderator of the subreddit where Anand posted recognized the university he was attending and informed Lehigh University, which conducted an investigation and confirmed Anand's identity, leading to his deportation.

What charges were brought against Arian Anand, and what was his plea?

Arian Anand was charged with forgery, tampering with records, identification theft, and theft by deception. He pleaded guilty to one count of forgery.

What were the potential consequences for Arian Anand if the university had not decided to only deport him?

If the university had not opted for deportation, Arian Anand could have faced a prison term of up to 20 years in the US.

What motivated the Reddit moderator to expose Arian Anand's fraudulent activities?

The moderator, a 19-year-old from Faridabad and a former JE aspirant, felt it was morally right to expose Anand because of the hardships faced by students appearing for competitive exams.

What conditions did Lehigh University set for Arian Anand's deportation?

Lehigh University agreed to Anand's deportation on the condition that they would not charge him for the $85,000 they lost on him.