Fraudulent Fame: Ghost Students Give Colleges a Celeb-Studded Headache
The education sector is battling ghost students using celebrity impersonations to scam financial aid. With Brad Pitt and friends popping up in applications, schools are facing a comedic yet costly crisis. Identity theft and bot-generated fraud are draining resources and leaving real students without funds or seats—it’s like a Hollywood heist movie gone wrong!
Hot Take:
**_Oh, look! Brad Pitt wants to study quantum physics at our college! Wait, never mind, it’s just another ghost student trying to haunt our admissions office and swipe some financial aid. Who knew celebrity impersonations could be a new spooky trend in higher education?_**
Key Points:
– Ghost students use stolen identities or celebrity names to apply for colleges and financial aid with no intention of attending.
– The scam ties up educational resources and financial aid that could be used for legitimate students.
– The U.S. Department of Education reports $90 million in federal aid has been misappropriated to ghost students, even to some deceased individuals.
– California Community Colleges experienced over $10 million in fraudulent financial aid claims in a single year.
– Schools are adopting new security measures, such as requiring live ID verification, to combat the ghost student epidemic.