US Edition'Ghost students' can steal your identity, enroll you in school and take loans out in your name
Community colleges report up to 5% of applicants as fake, with over $350 million lost to ghost student scams, prompting enhanced fraud detection efforts nationwide.
- On Wednesday, ABC News reported that criminals create ghost students by enrolling synthetic identities in community colleges to steal federal student aid, prompting a nationwide investigation.
- Open enrollment at many community colleges has exposed verification gaps in online enrollment systems, and scammers use artificial intelligence to scale schemes, according to investigators.
- Delaware County Community College reported two ghost students in 2025, while investigators say the federal government lost more than $350 million with over 200 active investigations, according to the Inspector General.
- Colleges are responding with third-party vendors and monitoring tools, and U.S. Department of Education Assistant Inspector General Jason Williams warns victims can be assigned loans unknowingly, highlighting immediate risks.
- The U.S. Department of Education plans to integrate a FAFSA formula early next year, while Federal Trade Commission Midwest Region Director Jason Adler advises freezing credit and monitoring reports to detect identity theft.
20 Articles
20 Articles
'Ghost Students:' The digital network of thieves posing a 'major threat' to CA Community Colleges
An emerging wave of fraud known as "ghost students" is targeting community colleges, using artificial intelligence to steal identities, enroll in classes and collect financial aid before disappearing.
Ghost Students Are Stealing Billions in College Aid
A college scam you've probably never heard of is quietly piling up federal losses and personal headaches, ABC News reports. So-called "ghost students" use stolen or fabricated identities to enroll at community colleges, secure federal grants and loans, then vanish—leaving taxpayers on the hook and victims discovering surprise education...
Good Morning America
Inside the 'ghost student' scam that uses identity theft to steal college loans and financial aid
Authorities are investigating a growing scam in which so-called "ghost students" use stolen IDs to enroll in college classes to steal student loans and financial aid.
'Ghost students' can steal your identity, enroll you in school and take loans out in your name
One man and his son were applying for college financial aid, but someone had beat them to it, stealing their identities and signing them both up for classes at community colleges across the country.
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