How Kenyans got caught in $130m US ghost student scam

In May 2024, Francis Mogambi arrived in the United States after winning the Diversity Visa lottery, a programme that gives people from around the world a chance to become permanent residents.Just over two years later, the Kenyan national found himself at the centre of a US investigation into an alleged nationwide scheme to defraud the federal student aid system.On 19 October 2026, a grand jury in Nebraska indicted Mogambi on five counts of theft of government money and five counts of aggravated identity theft.Prosecutors allege that, between November 2025 and May 2026, he worked with associates in Kenya to steal the identities of US citizens and use them to fraudulently enroll fictitious students in American colleges.Once the fake students were enrolled, Mogambi allegedly diverted their financial aid payments to himself, keeping 30% and sending the remainder to his associates in Kenya. The intended loss in his case was $20,000 (£15,000), according to prosecutors.Court documents say Mogambi received $2,000 a week and attempted to recruit another person into the scheme. He allegedly told the individual he needed a business that would allow him to cash larger cheques without paying ta...