How Scammers Are Using AI to Steal College Financial Aid Fake college enrollments have been surging as crime rings deploy “ghost students” — chatbots that join online classrooms and stay just long enough to collect a financial aid check In some cases, professors discover almost no one in their class is real
Socure Uncovers Ghost Student Fraud in Colleges Colleges we spoke with told us that AI-powered chatbots are increasingly being used by these “ghost students” to attend virtual classes and submit coursework This suggests that successful fraud at the college level often requires a “long con”—one that extends well beyond the initial enrollment
Ghost Student Bots Steal Millions from California Colleges The California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office estimated that 31 4 percent of student applications in 2024 were fraudulent, coming from bots or AI agents being used to steal financial
How ‘ghost students’ are applying to colleges to steal . . . Valicenti’s name is among the stolen identities used in thousands of fraudulent attempts to enroll in community colleges in California and across the country since classes shifted online during