Community colleges across California are confronting a troubling rise in scams targeting online classes. Many fake student accounts — often called bots — fraudulently enroll in virtual courses to obtain financial aid. These bots mimic real students by filling out applications, enrolling in classes and sometimes even completing initial assignments using artificial intelligence. But their ultimate goal is simple: collect aid money and disappear.
This surge in fraudulent activity is straining colleges already working to manage large online student populations. Instructors have reported that all discussion boards were filled with eerily similar responses, odd phrasing or irrelevant answers. In many cases, the fake students never attend class or log in to the course platform, yet still receive aid meant for real learners.
The financial implications are serious. Colleges have lost tens of thousands of dollars to these scams, with institutions often responsible for repaying the government for funds improperly disbursed. Beyond financial losses, the presence of bots skews enrollment data, impacts course availability, and can prevent genuine students from getting into full classes. Faculty are being asked to monitor attendance more closely and drop students who aren’t participating, but identifying bots isn’t always straightforward.
Former community college student Daniel Fuentes Jr. said, “I received an email from someone who claimed to be with FAFSA. They promised to give me an extra $5,000 in aid. All I had to do was give them my student ID number,” he said. “Like the dumb 19-year-old I was, I gave it to them without any information. Thankfully, nothing too bad came out of that. I was able to get the situation sorted out, but I was scared for a moment.”
At the same time, many California colleges are still recovering from cyberattacks that exposed security vulnerabilities. Malware and ransomware incidents in recent years have disrupted operations, compromised data and forced institutions to make costly ransom payments to regain access to their systems. The attacks revealed outdated servers, weak encryption protocols and gaps in IT infrastructure.
In response, statewide efforts are underway to strengthen digital defenses and tighten application verification processes. Tools such as advanced bot-detection software and stricter confirmation timelines have been introduced to filter out suspicious activity during enrollment. But as online education continues to grow, so do the challenges of ensuring the virtual classroom remains a secure and authentic space for learning.
College of the Desert isn’t immune to this growing crisis. Scams involving bot enrollments, financial aid fraud, and repeated cyberattacks have exposed serious vulnerabilities in the school’s digital infrastructure. Faculty at the college have recently been asked to help identify and remove fake students — automated bots or fictitious identities enrolling in classes not to learn, but to siphon off financial aid dollars. According to a local news report on KESQ these bots led to at least $30,000 in financial aid being improperly awarded during Fall 2023 semester alone. Since the students never actually attended class, the school is now on the hook to repay those funds to the federal government.
This type of scam isn’t new, but it’s becoming more sophisticated. Bots are enrolling through legitimate channels, sometimes using stolen identities, and exploiting gaps in the verification process. They may submit AI-generated discussion posts or log in just enough to appear real, making it harder for instructors to spot them. Faculty are being urged to drop students who never participate in class and to report any suspicious activity to campus officials.
This comes as College of the Desert continues to deal with the fallout of multiple cybersecurity breaches. In August 2020, the college suffered a ransomware attack that forced it to pay over $1.1 million in Bitcoin to restore access to encrypted databases. That attack, which took place under former President Joel Kinnamon, exposed just how outdated and vulnerable the school’s IT systems had become. Some servers were still running Windows 2008 and using obsolete security protocols.
Then in July 2023, a second malware attack struck the college, potentially compromising the personal data of hundreds of students and staff. Although the college says it has taken steps to strengthen its cybersecurity, the Board of Trustees continues to describe the system as “vulnerable” and “inefficient.”
If you’re a student, the best way to protect yourself from these scams is to stay informed. If you receive a suspicious email or text from someone claiming they can help with financial aid or offer money for tuition in any form, it’s most likely a scam.
