Aryan Anand, a 19-year-old Indian student, was expelled from Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and asked to leave the United States after his intricate fraud scheme came to light.
The story was first revealed when Anand took Reddit to confess that he had “built his life and career on lies.” His post detailed the extent of his deceit, admitting that he had fabricated the documents he submitted to secure his university admission and scholarship.
The rumour began when Anand shared a post on Reddit under the username TransportationOk4728. He claimed he had received a full scholarship from a US university but could not afford the visa and flight costs.
The May 23, 2023 post garnered significant attention, with many Redditors offering advice and support.
Anand explained that his scholarship covered tuition, housing, food, health insurance, and textbooks, not the visa and transportation expenses. He asked for guidance on securing the necessary funds and asked the Reddit community for help.
In his post, Anand mentioned that he would be attending Lehigh University. He received a mix of congratulations and scepticism, with some users questioning the authenticity of his story.
One user, melayaraja, offered partial financial support after reviewing Anand’s admission documents. Anand’s request for assistance highlighted the economic challenges international students face, but his true intentions remained hidden.
Anand’s story took a dramatic turn in February 2024 when he returned to Reddit with a new post titled “I have built my life and career on LIES and FRAUD.”
The post, which he described as long but worth reading, detailed the complex web of lies he had spun to gain admission to Lehigh University.
Anand revealed that he had forged his academic transcripts, fabricated financial documents, and even created a fake death certificate for his father to secure a full scholarship.
The root of Anand’s deception can be traced back to the cancellation of his 10th-grade board exams. He admitted that from that point onward, he had not studied seriously.
Despite his initial aspirations of cracking the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE), Anand struggled academically, barely passing the 11th grade with 49%.
In the 12th grade, he enlisted in a dummy school, hoping to restart his academic journey. However, he soon found himself repeating the same patterns of procrastination and disengagement.
As his academic shortcomings set in, Anand realized he could not achieve a 50th percentile score in the JEE.
Desperate to secure a future, he began exploring opportunities to study abroad. He discovered that some top US colleges offered total financial aid to international students based on their family’s income.
However, these opportunities were reserved for outstanding students with perfect academic records and impressive extracurricular achievements – qualities Anand lacked.
Determined to succeed, Anand devised an elaborate plan to fabricate his academic profile. He meticulously edited his 9th to 11th-grade transcripts, making them appear flawless.
Anand also created a fake predicted result for his 12th grade. He acquired a counterfeit stamp and seal of his school’s principal to lend authenticity to the documents.
Anand then created a fake email address for his school, using a domain name that closely resembled the official one, to send the falsified transcripts to universities.
To craft compelling application essays, Anand turned to ChatGPT, using examples of successful essays to generate responses that would impress admission committees.
Anand applied to numerous US colleges that promised to meet the financial needs of admitted students, stating that he could not contribute anything to his college education. He also faked his father’s death, claiming that his family could not afford even the minimal remaining costs associated with his education.
Anand’s scheme initially yielded mixed results. He received rejections, waitlists, and deferrals from several institutions.
However, one of the top 25 US colleges accepted him. It offered a generous financial aid package that covered almost all his expenses except for his meal plan.
To further secure his admission, Anand sent the college a fake death certificate for his father, convincing them to increase his aid package to cover the total cost of attendance, including meals and a round-trip ticket to India each year.
Despite his academic fraud, Anand faced another hurdle: passing his 12th-grade board exams. He scored 58%, which he edited to 91% before sending the falsified results to the college.
With his admission confirmed, Anand travelled to the US in August 2023, starting his academic journey at Lehigh University. However, his fraudulent activities did not end there.
In the US, Anand continued deceptive practices to maintain his academic standing and secure additional funds.
He cheated on exams by sneaking out of his dorm room at night and using a hidden phone to look up answers.
Anand also faked an internship experience with a well-known company, crafting a fraudulent resume and LinkedIn profile to maintain his credentials.
Anand’s academic performance was average, but he managed to maintain a show of success.
The turning point came when Anand’s conscience weighed heavily on him. The pressure of living a life built on deceit became unbearable.
In February 2024, he came clean and posted his confession on Reddit.
Anand expressed regret for his actions and acknowledged the harm he had caused to his family, friends, and the institutions he deceived.
Anand’s confession drew mixed reactions. Some Reddit users were sympathetic, appreciating his honesty and courage to come forward.
Others were outraged, condemning his actions and calling for severe consequences. The confession caught the attention of Lehigh University officials, who launched an investigation into Anand’s claims.
The university’s investigation confirmed the authenticity of Anand’s confession. They found evidence of forged documents, fabricated stories, and academic dishonesty.
The institution had no choice but to expel Anand and revoke his scholarship. Lehigh University also notified the authorities about Anand’s fraudulent activities.
In April 2024, Anand was arrested and charged with forgery and other related offences.
He pleaded guilty to the charges in June 2024.
Given his age and the case’s unique circumstances, the court sentenced him to one to three months in Northampton County Prison, equivalent to time served.
As part of a plea deal, Anand agreed to return to India upon his release, and the university decided not to pursue restitution of approximately Rs 70 lakh (around $85,000) in scholarship funds.
In his last Reddit post before his arrest, Anand reflected on the events that led to his downfall. He expressed deep guilt for his actions and hoped others could learn from his mistakes.
Anand acknowledged that he had betrayed the trust of his family, friends, and the institutions that had supported him.
