How Kenyans got caught in $130m US ghost student scam
Summary
U.S. authorities are investigating an alleged scheme that used stolen identities to enroll fictitious students in colleges and divert federal student aid. A Kenyan man, Francis Mogambi, has been indicted in Nebraska; investigators have identified potentially fraudulent aid accounts linked to nearly $130 million, which is not a confirmed loss amount.Key Facts
- Prosecutors allege Francis Mogambi worked with associates in Kenya from November 2025 to May 2026 to steal U.S. citizens’ identities and enroll fictitious students.
- Mogambi faces five counts of theft of government money and five counts of aggravated identity theft.
- Prosecutors allege that Mogambi diverted financial aid payments, kept 30%, and sent the rest to associates in Kenya.
- Mogambi was arrested after the indictment and is being held pending trial.
- The Justice Department’s Operation Ghostbusters has resulted in five indictments, with 40 additional investigations still open, according to U.S. authorities.
- Authorities say hundreds of people may have had personal information stolen and used to access federal student aid.
- Investigators identified 830,840 potentially fraudulent Federal Student Aid identification numbers associated with nearly $130 million in September and October 2026; that amount is not confirmed losses.
- Authorities say identity theft can leave victims facing unexpected student loan debts and damage to their credit.
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