“Ghost students are hijacking millions from colleges and locking human students out of classes” This article is about highly intelligent criminal networks using AI to create thousands of fake students to steal money. These “ghost students” are using either stolen or fake identities to register and enroll in colleges and universities. “They occupy seats meant for real students, they use AI to hand in homework just to hold out long enough to siphon millions in financial aid and then disappear”. About $90 million in financial aid has been stolen; $30 million was traced back to dead people whose identities had been stolen and used to enroll.
A fraud detection platform called SAFE is working with colleges and universities to verify students’…
In class the other day, Professor Bataille mentioned a new article he had uploaded about “ghost students” and I thought it sounded interesting. The title caught my attention, and after reading it, I found the entire situation both surprising and deeply concerning. The article outlines how fake student accounts, many likely run by AI bots, are enrolling in community college courses, applying for financial aid, and collecting money meant for real students. What stood out most to me was the scale of the problem: according to the article, these scams have siphoned off tens of millions of dollars in federal financial aid. In some cases, colleges are seeing hundreds or even thousands of fraudulent applications, overwhelming their systems and staff.
“Ghost students are hijacking millions from colleges and locking human students out of classes” This article is about highly intelligent criminal networks using AI to create thousands of fake students to steal money. These “ghost students” are using either stolen or fake identities to register and enroll in colleges and universities. “They occupy seats meant for real students, they use AI to hand in homework just to hold out long enough to siphon millions in financial aid and then disappear”. About $90 million in financial aid has been stolen; $30 million was traced back to dead people whose identities had been stolen and used to enroll.
A fraud detection platform called SAFE is working with colleges and universities to verify students’…
In class the other day, Professor Bataille mentioned a new article he had uploaded about “ghost students” and I thought it sounded interesting. The title caught my attention, and after reading it, I found the entire situation both surprising and deeply concerning. The article outlines how fake student accounts, many likely run by AI bots, are enrolling in community college courses, applying for financial aid, and collecting money meant for real students. What stood out most to me was the scale of the problem: according to the article, these scams have siphoned off tens of millions of dollars in federal financial aid. In some cases, colleges are seeing hundreds or even thousands of fraudulent applications, overwhelming their systems and staff.