Sophisticated 'Ghost Student' Scam Steals Millions in College Aid

Fraudsters use stolen identities to enroll in classes and apply for federal loans and grants, leaving victims and colleges to deal with the fallout.

Jan. 29, 2026 at 1:55am by Ben Kaplan

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

A growing number of 'ghost student' scams are targeting community colleges across the country, using stolen or fake identities to enroll in classes and apply for federal student aid. The scammers then disappear with the money, leaving victims like Murat Mayor and his son to clear their names and colleges to deal with the fallout. Experts say the fraud has exploded during the pandemic's shift to online learning, with the federal government investigating over $350 million in losses.

Why it matters

The 'ghost student' scams highlight vulnerabilities in the higher education system, particularly at open-enrollment community colleges. The fraud is costing the government hundreds of millions, taking seats from legitimate students, and burdening colleges that lack the resources to combat the sophisticated schemes.

The details

Scammers leverage artificial intelligence and the shift to remote learning to create fake student accounts and apply for Pell grants and federal loans, which they then pocket. In California, nearly a third of community college applicants in 2024 were identified as fraudulent. Colleges are turning to identity verification software to try to catch the fake applications, but the schemes range from savvy to sloppy, with some scammers even emailing administrators with 'business proposals' to partner on the fraud.

  • In 2024, Murat Mayor and his son discovered their identities had been stolen and used to create fake student accounts at multiple community colleges.
  • In 2023, Delaware County Community College found over 500 fraudulent student accounts enrolled in its classes, which the school described as 'a terrible year'.
  • Over the past five years, the federal government has investigated more than $350 million in fraud from 'ghost student' schemes, with some suspected of racking up over $1 billion.

The players

Murat Mayor

A 58-year-old business analyst whose identity, along with that of his high school senior son, was stolen and used to create fake student accounts at multiple community colleges.

Jason Williams

The assistant inspector general for investigations at the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Inspector General, who says the 'ghost student' fraud has become a 'huge issue' that has exploded during the pandemic's shift to online learning.

Maurice Simpkins

A retired NFL linebacker who operates a software platform called Student Application Fraudulent Examination (S.A.F.E.) that acts as a firewall to help community colleges combat fake student applications.

Gina Macklin

A senior administrator at Delaware County Community College who said the school found more than 500 fake students enrolled in its classes in 2023, which she described as 'a terrible year'.

Dr. Beatriz Chaidez

The chancellor of the San Jose Evergreen Community College District, who said the school found that a 50-person online class was booked in minutes and had 100 individuals on its waitlist, with just 6 being real students.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“It's a huge issue. As they're stealing identities ... these loans are not being repaid. They're being assigned to people [who] don't even know they have a debt with U.S. Department of Education ... [until] the Internal Revenue Service says you owe the Department of Education money.”

— Jason Williams, Assistant Inspector General for Investigations, U.S. Department of Education's Office of Inspector General

“When the pandemic [hit], everybody went to online learning. Well, by doing that, it really did open the door" for more widespread fraud.”

— Jason Williams, Assistant Inspector General for Investigations, U.S. Department of Education's Office of Inspector General

“The rest were fraudulent accounts. Ghost students.”

— Dr. Beatriz Chaidez, Chancellor, San Jose Evergreen Community College District (KGO-TV)

What’s next

The judge in Murat Mayor's case will decide on Tuesday whether to allow the alleged perpetrator, Walker Reed Quinn, to be released on bail.

The takeaway

The 'ghost student' scams highlight the vulnerabilities in the higher education system, particularly at open-enrollment community colleges, and the need for better fraud detection and identity verification tools to protect students, colleges, and taxpayer-funded financial aid programs.