[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":86},["ShallowReactive",2],{"press-fortune-ghost-students":3},{"id":4,"title":5,"bannerImage":6,"bannerImageAlt":6,"body":7,"category":73,"date":74,"description":69,"excerpt":6,"extension":75,"externalLink":65,"featured":76,"heroImage":6,"heroImageAlt":6,"meta":77,"navigation":78,"path":79,"seo":80,"slug":81,"socialImage":82,"socialImageAlt":83,"source":22,"stem":84,"__hash__":85},"press\u002Fpress\u002F9.fortune-ghost-students.md","Fortune: 'Ghost students' — AI-powered fraud rings target millions in financial aid",null,{"type":8,"value":9,"toc":68},"minimark",[10,15,35,61],[11,12,14],"h2",{"id":13},"ghost-students-hit-the-national-stage","\"Ghost students\" hit the national stage",[16,17,18,19,23,24,34],"p",{},"In an August 2025 feature, ",[20,21,22],"em",{},"Fortune"," documented the spread of \"ghost-student\" fraud rings from California to community colleges in Arizona, Indiana, Oregon, New Jersey, and Michigan — and the AI defense platforms institutions are turning to. ",[25,26,27,28],"strong",{},"LightLeapAI ",[29,30,33],"sup",{"className":31},[32],"wordmark-reg","®"," is cited as one of the platforms colleges are deploying to keep weaponized application bots out of their systems and to preserve seats and financial aid for legitimate students.",[16,36,37,38,45,46,51,52,60],{},"The piece is part of a wave of national coverage of the issue, including stories in ",[39,40,44],"a",{"href":41,"rel":42},"https:\u002F\u002Fedsource.org\u002F2025\u002Fcalifornia-colleges-ai-fraud-detection\u002F739763",[43],"nofollow","EdSource",", ",[39,47,50],{"href":48,"rel":49},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.paloaltoonline.com\u002Feducation\u002F2025\u002F09\u002F02\u002Ffoothill-de-anza-pioneers-ai-tool-to-detect-community-college-financial-aid-fraud\u002F",[43],"Palo Alto Online",", and the ",[39,53,56,57],{"href":54,"rel":55},"https:\u002F\u002Feccunion.com\u002Fnews\u002F2025\u002F09\u002F15\u002Fartificial-intelligence-combats-enrollment-fraud-at-ecc-and-other-california-colleges-2\u002F",[43],"El Camino College ",[20,58,59],{},"Union",".",[16,62,63],{},[39,64,67],{"href":65,"rel":66},"https:\u002F\u002Ffortune.com\u002F2025\u002F08\u002F23\u002Fghost-students-colleges-back-to-school\u002F",[43],"Read the Fortune story",{"title":69,"searchDepth":70,"depth":70,"links":71},"",2,[72],{"id":13,"depth":70,"text":14},"In the Press","2025-08-23","md",false,{},true,"\u002Fpress\u002Ffortune-ghost-students",{"title":5,"description":69},"fortune-ghost-students","\u002Fimages\u002Fog\u002Fpress\u002Fog-press-fortune.jpg","A single empty wooden lecture-hall seat lit by a sharp diagonal shaft of brand cyan-to-green light cutting through dark rows behind it — AI exposing the ghost-student economy.","press\u002F9.fortune-ghost-students","4OXsnIFKm4cLqHr9iBp3M7h1RqizITyqrbHKowi_HWM",1784545937112]