The Power of Whistleblowing: How a Reddit Post Led to the Arrest of a 19-Year-Old Who Duped a US University

In a remarkable tale of how technology and morality can come together to bring about justice, a 19-year-old from Faridabad, India, was arrested and charged with forgery, tampering with records, theft by deception, and theft of services for allegedly duping Lehigh University in Pennsylvania, US, and securing a scholarship worth $85,000.

The story began when Aryan Anand, a computer science student, posted a confession on a Reddit forum called Btechtards, revealing how he had fabricated admission paperwork, altered his grades, and even created a fake death certificate for his father to secure an “aid package” at the university. The post was anonymous, but a fellow Reddit user, who had recently joined the forum as a moderator, noticed the unusual claims and decided to investigate further.

The whistleblower, who wished to remain anonymous, started analyzing Anand’s past posts and discovered that he had mentioned Lehigh University on multiple occasions. He also found a photograph of the university that was later identified as Lehigh University through reverse image search. Furthermore, Anand was the only user following the Lehigh University community on Reddit.

The whistleblower sent an email to the university, attaching screenshots of Anand’s posts, which led to a chain of events that ultimately resulted in Anand’s arrest. The university’s investigation found that Anand had created a Reddit account using his email address and had accessed it from the Lehigh network. They also discovered that Anand had attended Ruby Children Senior Secondary School in Kota, Rajasthan, and had completed Class 10 and 11 from Kendriya Vidyalayas in Hyderabad and Kanpur, respectively.

The university’s complaint stated that Anand had scored 58% in Class 12, but had edited his grades to 91%. He had also created a fake death certificate for his father, which was altered on the “iLovePDF” webpage. Anand has since admitted that his father is alive and living in India.

The case came to light when the whistleblower, who is currently pursuing a B.Tech in Computer Science in India, read Anand’s post and felt compelled to take action. He told The Indian Express, “His post was horrifying… the fact that he faked his father’s death… I have been a JEE aspirant myself. I have seen how hard people work for the SAT and to get admission to universities abroad. Here this guy was proudly boasting about his fraud… It felt like the morally right thing to do.”

The university’s investigation found that Anand was the only first-year international student from India on full scholarship, and his roommate was involved with a fraternity. The university revoked his status as a student and rescinded his admission.

Anand was arrested on April 30 and charged with various crimes. He pleaded guilty to one count of forgery and was released to the custody of the US Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, with a condition that he return to India. The case serves as a reminder of the importance of integrity and the power of whistleblowing in bringing about justice.

For students preparing for competitive exams, this story highlights the importance of honesty and integrity in all aspects of life. It also demonstrates how technology can be used to uncover fraud and bring about justice.

Historical Context:

• The story highlights the importance of whistleblowing, which has been a crucial aspect of bringing about justice and accountability in various contexts throughout history. From ancient Greece to modern times, whistleblowers have played a significant role in exposing corruption, fraud, and other wrongdoings.
• The use of technology, particularly social media platforms like Reddit, has become a crucial tool in uncovering fraud and bringing about justice. This is evident in cases like the Panama Papers scandal, where leaked documents revealed widespread tax evasion and money laundering by wealthy individuals and politicians.
• The case also highlights the importance of integrity and honesty in academic and professional settings. The story serves as a reminder that cheating and fraud can have severe consequences and can damage one’s reputation and future prospects.

Summary in Bullet Points:

• A 19-year-old Indian student, Aryan Anand, was arrested and charged with forgery, tampering with records, theft by deception, and theft of services for allegedly duping Lehigh University in Pennsylvania, US, and securing a scholarship worth $85,000.
• Anand posted a confession on a Reddit forum, revealing how he had fabricated admission paperwork, altered his grades, and created a fake death certificate for his father to secure the scholarship.
• A fellow Reddit user, who was a moderator, noticed the unusual claims and decided to investigate further, leading to a chain of events that resulted in Anand’s arrest.
• The whistleblower discovered that Anand had created a Reddit account using his email address and had accessed it from the Lehigh network, and had also attended different schools in India.
• Anand had edited his grades from 58% to 91% and created a fake death certificate for his father, which was altered on the “iLovePDF” webpage.
• Anand admitted that his father is alive and living in India, and the university revoked his status as a student and rescinded his admission.
• Anand was arrested on April 30 and charged with various crimes, and pleaded guilty to one count of forgery. He was released to the custody of the US Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, with a condition that he return to India.
• The case serves as a reminder of the importance of integrity and the power of whistleblowing in bringing about justice, and highlights the importance of honesty and integrity in academic and professional settings.