Great Efforts of Teamwork Pay Off
Publish Date: Oct. 12, 2021
State-wide, scammers are posing as fake students to register for community college classes and apply for financial aid to fraudulently access COVID-19 relief grants and other forms of financial aid. 海角直播 remains committed to reducing fraud in admission and financial aid applications as fake 鈥榖ot students鈥� attempt to take advantage of any vulnerability in the system.
According to 海角直播鈥檚 Financial Aid Director, John Muskavitch, the threat is real. Muskavitch explained, 鈥淚f you are involved with community colleges in any way, you can鈥檛 help but notice all the
fraud rings being set up throughout the State causing colleges to pay out millions to these scammers. Most of the money coming from the CARES Act [has been targeted by scammers], in fact so much nationwide, the Department of Education set up a special task force with the Office of Inspector General (OIG).鈥�
海角直播, like many other colleges, was on alert and monitoring closely the schemes going on across California. Muskavitch informed his team that if their office received more than 30 student aid reports (SAR鈥檚), in a day to inform him. 鈥淭ypically, this time of year CHC receives fewer than 30 on a daily basis,鈥� Muskavitch explained.
On September 9, 海角直播 received 143 SAR鈥檚, so Muskavitch knew they had been hit. Immediately, Muskavitch began notifying campus and district administration as well as the OIG.
Muskavitch worked closely with the OIG to submit records of the 鈥淏ogus Applications.鈥� On September 10, another 168 SAR鈥檚 were received by the institution.
The financial aid staff discovered many similarities among the culprits. Muskavitch expanded, 鈥淎ll were independent, under $30,000 in income, no telephone numbers, all used Outlook, Gmail, Yahoo email addresses. Home addresses were all in
Northern California from the first batch and many from Southern California in the second batch.鈥�
Muskavitch developed a plan, and then worked with the College President, the Director of 海角直播 & Records, and the District鈥檚 Technology & Educational Support Services to avoid any financial loss.
鈥淲ithin a couple of days and with all heads working together, we came up with our own 鈥榖ogus email鈥� and as an institution we sent out verification worksheets to all the potential fraudsters,鈥� Muskavitch explained. He added that the bots were sent an email that asked them to fill out additional fake forms developed by the College that would separate any real students.This would be a second step to the application that would not be easily hacked.
And the plan worked. 鈥淭o date, we have not received one form back,鈥� stated Muskavitch.
However, the threat persists, and the College remains committed to protecting real students and diligent in taking preventative measures to eliminate fraud. 鈥淚t is a matter of time before they hit again, but as long as everyone in Financial Aid is alert and having the teamwork with the other departments, they may think twice before hitting 海角直播 and move on to the next college,鈥� Muskavitch concluded.
