Education Secretary Linda McMahon sent a letter to Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN), admonishing the governor for the number of fraudulent so-called “ghost students” in Minnesota applying to universities.

McMahon’s letter referenced the issue of financial aid fraud, in which “ghost students” game the Free Application for Federal Student Aid process to steal federal student aid money. The Education Department has explained that these fraudsters can pose as students through the use of artificial intelligence bots, can organize through international crime rings, and often use the information of deceased individuals.