New Delhi: An Indian student pursuing her master’s degree in the United States was recently duped by imposters posing as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers, resulting in a huge financial loss.
The incident occurred just days after US President Donald Trump, along with ICE, launched a crackdown on international students amid increased immigration enforcement.
Shreya Bedi, an Indian student enrolled in a postgraduate program at Indiana University Bloomington, arrived in the US on an H1 visa in 2022. On May 29, she received a call from scammers claiming to be ICE officers. They convinced her that she was in violation of immigration laws and coerced her into purchasing gift cards worth dollars 5,000 as “bond payments” to avoid arrest and deportation.
Scammers had access to personal information
The scam appeared highly convincing as the culprits had detailed information about Bedi’s personal identification, academic records, and even the specifics of her arrival in the United States. “They knew things that only official agencies would know,” Bedi stated as reported by Hindustan Times (HT).
According to her, the scammers alleged that she had failed to report her immigration number, thus violating US immigration laws. “He gave me his name and badge number and told me to verify his office details by going to ice.gov and looking up the Maryland office. I confirmed it was the same number he was calling from,” she said.
Adding to the pressure, Bedi was told she could not contact anyone because her phone calls were allegedly being monitored.
Another scammer, claiming to be an officer from the Olympia Police Department, also called her from a spoofed number. He allegedly informed her that a warrant had been issued for her arrest unless ICE confirmed her case was under investigation.
Financial and emotional toll
“I felt completely trapped because they kept me on the phone for three hours straight, repeatedly warning me that hanging up or contacting anyone would violate my case and make things worse. I was too scared to risk it,” Bedi was quoted as saying by HT.
Now, in addition to the emotional trauma, Bedi faces severe financial distress and mounting student loans. She is currently trying to raise funds through GoFundMe and has issued a warning to other international students to remain vigilant and not fall into similar traps.
Surge in ICE impersonation scams
Reports indicate a recent spike in scams involving individuals impersonating ICE officers.
“ICE strongly condemns the impersonation of its officers or agents. This action is not only dangerous, but also illegal. Imposters can be charged with various criminal offenses at the state or local level, as well as federally under 18 USC 912,” an ICE spokesperson stated.
