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Fortune: 'Ghost students' — AI-powered fraud rings target millions in financial aid

"Ghost students" hit the national stage

In an August 2025 feature, 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. LightLeapAI 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.

The piece is part of a wave of national coverage of the issue, including stories in EdSource, Palo Alto Online, and the El Camino College Union.

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