
Badlands Media Special Coverage: 10/29/26 - DOJ Operation Ghostbusters Targets Student Aid Fraud
The Justice Department announces the first results of Operation Ghostbusters, a nationwide crackdown on ghost student fraud that uses stolen identities to enroll fake students and drain federal student aid. Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald of the new National Fraud Enforcement Division lays out how the scheme works, from stolen identities and AI-written coursework to stand-ins attending online classes, and announces charges against five defendants in Nebraska and New Jersey plus the seizure of more than $750,000 in cryptocurrency tied to a Kenyan network. Education Under Secretary…
The skinny
The skinny isn't ready yet — notes appear once the transcript is processed.