Education Department Office of Inspector General

Federal Oversight Agency

Appears in 1 story · Last updated Oct 31, 2026

Stories

Justice Department charges suspects in ghost student student aid fraud

Force in Play

Referred the case and helped identify fraudulent accounts

Americans who never enrolled in college are receiving bills for classes they never took. Prosecutors say identity thieves used their Social Security numbers to apply for federal student aid, enroll as ghost students and route the refunds overseas.

Updated Oct 31