How US discover $130m ghost student loan scam wey allegedly involve Africans

US authorities don burst accounts wey allegedly dey use stolen U.S. citizen identities to enroll "ghost students" for educational institutions, and e involve some Africans.

Di authorities mention say afta dem don disburse loan and grant, di ones wey tiff US citizen identities go come divert di refunds to bank accounts wey some foreign actors dey control.

Dem say na one U.S.-based money carrier including Kenyan nationals dey do dis fraudulent act.

Di Justice Department National Fraud Enforcement Division (Fraud Division), along wit di U.S. Attorney Offices for di Eastern District of Virginia, Nebraska, and New Jersey announce say dia indictment, result from one operation wey dem name 'Operation Ghostbusters'.

"Operation Ghostbusters na nationwide investigation into large‑scale student‑loan fraud scheme wia criminal actors create fraudulent Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) accounts wey dey use stolen U.S. citizen identities to enroll "ghost students" for educational institutions," according to US department of Justice.

For 21 October, one federal Grand Jury for di Eastern District of Virginia return multi-count indictment wey charge one Kenyan national wit conspiracy to commit wire fraud and student aid fraud.

According to di indictment, dem say di defendant conspired wit fraudsters for Kenya to obtain and use di stolen identities of U.S. citizens to submit fake and fraudulent FAFSA applications to tiff ova $1.4 million for student aid.

How US catch Kenyans for di $130m US ghost student scam

According to di US department of US, di defendant use multiple bank accounts across several financial institutions to receive ova 700 federal student aid refund deposits wey e fraudulently obtain.

Dem say di total reach up to $1,439,548 as di defendant dey engage in thousands of wire transfer and money service business transactions wey result in at least $1.3 million wey dem transfer to accounts for di United States and Kenya.

For May 2024, Francis Mogambi bin land for United States afta e win di Diversity Visa lottery, programme wey dey give pipo around di world di chance to bicom permanent residents.

Just ova two years later, di Kenyan national find imsef for di centre of one US investigation inside one alleged nationwide scheme to defraud di federal student aid system.

On 19 October 2026, grand jury for Nebraska charge Mogambi on five counts of theft of govment money and five counts of aggravated identity theft.

Prosecutors allege say, between November 2025 and May 2026, e work wit associates for Kenya to steal di identities of US citizens and use dem to fraudulently enroll fictitious students for American colleges.

Once di fake students dey enrolled, Mogambi allegedly divert dia financial aid payments to imsef, keeping 30% and sending di remaining to im associates for Kenya.

Di intended loss for im case na $20,000 (£14,928), according to prosecutors.

Court documents say Mogambi receive $2,000 (£1492) per week and attempt to recruit anoda pesin into di scheme.

E allegedly tell di individual e need business wey go allow am to cash larger cheques without paying taxes.

Dem arrest Mogambi shortly afta di indictment return and dem hold am for custody pending trial.

Im case form part of wider US investigation, called 'Operation Ghostbusters', into di alleged use of stolen identities to enrol ficticious students for colleges and claim federal financial aid.

For one news conference on 29 October announcing di first charges for di investigation, Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald, wey dey head di Justice Department National Fraud Enforcement Division, promise to pursue dose wey dey involved.

"If you tiff taxpayers' dollars, if you exploit programme wey suppose help students, we dey resolved to find you and prosecute you," e say.

Di Justice Department say dose wey dey behind di fraud use wetin dey described as "super intelligence" to place fake students for classrooms and complete coursework, creating di impression say dem dey attend college and allowing financial aid payments to kontinue.

"Di goal na to keep di ghost student for school as long as possible. Semester afta semester afta semester dey tiff money from di taxpayers," McDonald say.

But di consequences extend beyond di financial losses suffered by di US govment.

Pipo wey dia identities dey stolen fit find demsef facing unexpected student loan debts, even if dem neva enrol for college.

"Im identity dey stolen, im credit now dey at risk, and im name dey in di bill," McDonald say, describing di impact on one victim.

E also say dat nearly third of community college applicants for California in 2024 dey identified as fraudulent.

Di scale of di suspected fraud dey significant.

US discova ova 830,000 fraudulent student aid IDs

Investigators identify 830,840 potentially fraudulent Federal Student Aid identification numbers associated wit nearly $130m (£97m) for September and October 2026.

Dem recommend say di Department of Education disable dem.

Di figure represent financial aid associated wit potentially fraudulent accounts, no be confamed losses.

"For flash, di money vanishes, often overseas for places like Kenya," McDonald say.

Di investigation don also expose alleged financial links between di US and Kenya.

For September, US officials travel to Kenya to work wit local law enforcement on extraditions, prosecutions and di recovery of money wey dem allegedly tiff from American taxpayers.

Wit di help of Kenyan investigators, US authorities seize more dan $750,000 (£559,762) from cryptocurrency account wey belong to Kenyan national connected to di wider scheme.

Justice Department describe am as di first international seizure of di kind for Kenya.

Di seizure no dey connected to Mogambi individual case.

For separate case for Virginia, prosecutors allege say Kenyan national receive more dan 700 fraudulent student-aid refunds wey total approximately $1.44m (£1.07m).

At least $1.3m dey subsequently transferred through thousands of transactions to accounts for di US and Kenya.

Meanwhile, for New Jersey, three pipo dey charged wit allegedly acting as money mules for scheme to obtain more dan $1m (£746,445) for federal student aid.

Prosecutors say dem receive di funds through US bank accounts, wey dem keep some portion for demsef and transfer di remainder to alleged co-conspirators for Kenya linked to purported safari company.

If convicted, Mogambi go face mandatory prison term of at least 10 years, according to di Justice Department.