Inside the 'ghost student' scam that uses identity theft to target colleges

Federal investigators have more than 200 open cases probing these scams.
WCJB TV20 on MSN

UF student faces charges for fake ID, public exposure

A University of Florida student was arrested early Saturday after giving police a fake ID for identification and urinating in public.
Action News Jax

AI-fueled fake IDs and identity theft: What you need to know

Identity theft happens every 22 seconds in the U.S. and now, artificial intelligence is making it easier for scammers. What used to be rough Photoshop jobs has evolved into slick, AI-generated IDs ...
Capital Public Radio

IDs Aren't The Only Fake Documents College Students Want — Now It's Vaccine Cards Too

Now, fake IDs aren't rare among college students, you know, to get into bars or nightclubs when you're under 21. But this year, some students have their sights set on a new forged document - fake ...
Government Technology

Hunting Ghost Students

In 2025, California’s community colleges lost more than $13 million to identity fraud — not from hackers or ransomware, but from so-called “ghost students.” Ghost students are not real learners — they ...
India Today on MSN

APAAR ID scam: The WhatsApp message that could trick students into clicking

A WhatsApp message claiming an APAAR ID had been generated circulated widely, alarming students and parents. Screenshots were shared online and prompted warnings about unsolicited Aadhaar-linked ...
Hosted on MSN

Docs: Woman used fake students to defraud Education Department of nearly $1 million in financial aid

MUNCIE, Ind. — A serial scammer will spend over two years in prison after she defrauded the U.S. Department of Education out of nearly $1 million in financial aid by enrolling fake students in college ...