Scammers are enrolling fake students at US community colleges and using AI to collect financial aid

Scammers are using AI for a new kind of fraud at US community colleges. According to The New Yorker, fraudsters enroll fake students in courses to collect financial aid, then use AI to complete the required coursework. Professor David Song at East Los Angeles College says he spotted the problem a few years ago. Students with generic Anglo-Saxon names started showing up in his history course, even though the student body is mostly Latino and Asian. Their claims of having taken courses on Asian American topics didn't add up, Song says.

Song allows AI in his courses but requires labeling and academic honesty. Nobody respects those rules, he says, "even with the content that's blatantly generated." The worst abuse happens in asynchronous online courses, where students stay anonymous. Other instructors share similar frustrations. History professor David Roach estimates more than half his students use AI for papers. "Was it always the case that half of our students would cheat if it were easy enough?" he asked.

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