What Happened When a ‘Ghost Student’ Scammer Took Out Student Loans in My Name
3rd February 2026
Identity thieves are now using college enrollment to take out student loans in victims’ names. This so-called “ghost student” scam capitalizes on limited verification for online class sign-ups and the federal aid application process to steal millions in funds while assigning the debt to unsuspecting targets.
I personally have been a victim of this scam, which I discovered only after an outstanding student loan debt landed on my credit report in 2024. Here’s how the scheme works.