Indian diplomats in US face rise in impersonation scams targeting diaspora

Rise in Impersonation Scams Targeting Indian Diaspora in US Raises Concerns for Diplomats

Indian diplomats in US face rise - Indian diplomats stationed in the U.S. are now facing a growing threat from scammers who mimic their authority to deceive members of the Indian diaspora. These fraudsters use digital tools to spoof phone numbers with U.S. area codes, impersonating officials to carry out various schemes, including demanding fees for expedited travel documents or falsely accusing individuals of being tied to terrorist activities through their Indian phone numbers.

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According to officials who spoke with HT, Indian diplomatic missions have seen a significant increase in weekly complaints from the diaspora community regarding these fraudulent activities. The problem has persisted for 7 to 8 months, with local staff handling emergencies occasionally receiving 5 to 10 calls daily from community members reporting contact with impersonators. This can take up to an hour each day for teams working on these issues.

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Members of the Indian diaspora in America have shared their experiences on platforms like Reddit, with numerous accounts detailing fraudulent calls from scammers posing as Indian diplomats. One poster described a conversation with a woman who claimed to represent the San Francisco consulate. She stated that an Indian phone number was sending threatening messages and that the victim's U.S. number was listed as an emergency contact. The caller's accurate use of the name and number made the victim hesitant, leading them to believe a document from the Ministry of External Affairs awaited pickup at the consulate. No written notice was provided, and the caller hinted at legal consequences to maintain the scam's credibility.

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In another instance, a user was contacted by Anurag Sharma, claiming to be an official at the Indian Embassy. Sharma informed the user that their identity had been used to acquire an Indian SIM card, which was then employed in scamming efforts. He mentioned an active investigation and the requirement for a "No Objection Certificate" to resolve the matter, then offered to connect the user to a "direct line" with Delhi Police. A police officer on the line allegedly promised assistance in expediting the "investigation" for a fee, though the user ultimately declined to pay.

“This has been a persistent issue for us over the past 7 to 8 months. Local staff handling emergencies sometimes receive 5 to 10 calls daily from community members reporting that individuals posing as diplomats have contacted them. Collectively, this can consume up to an hour each day for our team working on these cases,” said one official familiar with the situation.

Scams targeting Indian-Americans, including impersonation schemes, have seen a sharp increase in recent years. Government data presented to the Rajya Sabha by the Ministry of External Affairs reveals a dramatic rise in complaints from the U.S., jumping from 8 cases in 2024 to 613 in 2025—a nearly 75-fold surge.

“Scammers often deploy scripted scenarios, counterfeit documents, and caller ID manipulation to look authentic. AI's recent progress has made these scams more believable, allowing for voice cloning, large-scale automated targeting, and tailored social engineering. As a result, fraudsters can create convincing, high-pressure interactions that exploit the fears and uncertainties of diaspora communities,” explains Gaurav Sharma, global head of architecture and product solutions at TransUnion.

The Indian Embassy in Washington has stated it is working with the U.S. government and issuing public advisories to tackle the issue. These efforts aim to educate the community about how to recognize and report fraudulent calls, ensuring greater awareness amid the rising complexity of such scams.