# Man arrested for running fake embassy in India **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 29, 2025, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-arrested-for-running-fake-embassy-in-india/1021484 "2025-07-29T21:45:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2025, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-arrested-for-running-fake-embassy-in-india/1021484/1 "2025-07-29T21:45:47Z")
Quite an audacious crime. I can’t imagine he thought it would succeed as a long-term con. You’d have to put lie on top of lie on a bigger scale than a simple fraud with a fake mailing address. > **[Man posed as an ambassador and ran a fake embassy, Indian police say](https://apnews.com/article/india-fake-embassy-arrest-bddf800f5d851320d2d2c32ce318756f)** > > Indian police have arrested a man accused of running a fake embassy from a rented building near New Delhi. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2025, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-arrested-for-running-fake-embassy-in-india/1021484/2 "2025-07-29T23:14:47Z")
> [@Love\_Rhombus](#): > > You’d have to put lie on top of lie I wonder if that’s what happened. He might have started out just with a fake license plate, then needed a real address for the fake license plate, then … ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2025, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-arrested-for-running-fake-embassy-in-india/1021484/3 "2025-07-29T23:18:38Z")
> [@Love\_Rhombus](#): > > Quite an audacious crime. I can’t imagine he thought it would succeed as a long-term con. You’d have to put lie on top of lie on a bigger scale than a simple fraud with a fake mailing address. My first thought was he failed to pay the required bribes. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2025, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-arrested-for-running-fake-embassy-in-india/1021484/4 "2025-07-30T00:12:35Z")
Ummm. Just asking for me and the cats, but @Love_Rhombus are you intending this as Breaking News (yes, I know it doesn’t have that tag, but not everyone uses them), or a general discussion before I embarrass myself assuming one or the other? ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2025, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-arrested-for-running-fake-embassy-in-india/1021484/5 "2025-07-30T00:50:50Z")
More details in [this NYT article](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/24/world/asia/india-fake-embassy.html?unlocked_article_code=1.aU8.cBr6.4G2b2Q4qNjD2&smid=url-share). I don’t know whether I am more nonplussed that he spent eight _years_ passing himself off as the consul from Westarctica, or that there actually is a [Westarctica](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westarctica). ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2025, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-arrested-for-running-fake-embassy-in-india/1021484/6 "2025-07-30T00:51:56Z")
The Onion got there first: > **[U.S. Ambassador To Bulungi Suspected Of Making Country Up](https://theonion.com/u-s-ambassador-to-bulungi-suspected-of-making-country-1819564610/)** > > WASHINGTON, DC—Chad Halpern, U.S. Ambassador to Bulungi since 1996, has been asked to return to Washington to face allegations that the West African nation does not exist. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2025, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-arrested-for-running-fake-embassy-in-india/1021484/7 "2025-07-30T00:55:03Z")
Well we’ve already had quite a few cases of “Moronie deported to Sweden: claims he’s not from there.” ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2025, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-arrested-for-running-fake-embassy-in-india/1021484/8 "2025-07-30T01:21:23Z")
> [@Fretful\_Porpentine](#): > > More details in [this NYT article](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/24/world/asia/india-fake-embassy.html?unlocked_article_code=1.aU8.cBr6.4G2b2Q4qNjD2&smid=url-share). I don’t know whether I am more nonplussed that he spent eight _years_ passing himself off as the consul from Westarctica, or that there actually is a [Westarctica](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westarctica). I think the most surprising part if that Westarctican officials have stated that Jain was their representative to India, although they have now “fired” him. (India has not extended official recognition to Westarctica.) ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2025, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-arrested-for-running-fake-embassy-in-india/1021484/9 "2025-07-30T01:32:59Z")
> [@Fretful\_Porpentine](#): > > I don’t know whether I am more nonplussed that he spent eight _years_ passing himself off as the consul from Westarctica, or that there actually is a [Westarctica](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westarctica). Are you kidding? We have always been at war with Westartica. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2025, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-arrested-for-running-fake-embassy-in-india/1021484/10 "2025-07-30T01:36:40Z")
> [@ParallelLines](#): > > Ummm. Just asking for me and the cats, but @Love_Rhombus are you intending this as Breaking News (yes, I know it doesn’t have that tag, but not everyone uses them), or a general discussion before I embarrass myself assuming one or the other? Just general discussion/hey isn’t that weird news. Unless you’ve had what you thought was a cushy embassy job in India. Then it might be Breaking News. :). If you wanna you can move it somewhere more appropriate or add any good tags. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2025, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-arrested-for-running-fake-embassy-in-india/1021484/11 "2025-07-30T01:47:15Z")
Nope, just was asking as a poster, not a mod. I’m not an IMHO mod, but didn’t want to make a food out of myself accidently - I’m a fool often enough IRL! So, I was going to say, I mean, this guy is more humble in his claims than former Senator George Santos. I could see a buddy-comedy series/movie where they both serve together (yes, I know, Indian vs. American jails but…), escape, and go on zany adventures, after which they end back in jail for several consecutive life sentences. I can dream, right?