Overview

As the fall term approaches, colleges and universities aren’t just welcoming new students—they’re also facing a surge in fraudulent applications from so-called "ghost students." These fake, stolen or synthetic identities exploit automated admissions and financial aid systems, siphoning public funds and threatening the integrity of higher education.

In this timely webinar, we’ll examine how institutions can defend against this growing threat using modern identity verification and fraud analytics. From initial application to aid disbursement, you’ll learn how to detect fraud early — without slowing down access for legitimate students — by leveraging device intelligence, risk scoring and behavioral analytics to flag risk in real time.

What You’ll Learn:

The scope and impact of ghost student fraud in higher education
How bad actors use fake or stolen identities to access financial aid
Where and how to embed digital identity verification in the admissions lifecycle
How device intelligence and behavioral analytics flag risk in real time
Case studies from institutions proactively fighting enrollment fraud
Strategies to protect equity while enforcing verification standards

Protecting public funds and maintaining trust in higher education has never been more urgent. Join us to discover how your institution can stay one step ahead — ensuring aid goes to real students, not ghost identities.

Speakers

Neal Galucci

Senior Manager, Solution Consulting, Socure

Neal is a driven leader focusing on major digital transformation that constantly challenges the norms of the public sector. Neal has a wide variety of experience in identity and access management, identity verification, criminal/fraud investigations, technical architecture, project management, change management, and steady state operations. At Socure, Neal is the Senior Manager of Solution Consulting within Socure’s Public Sector team where he is responsible for providing fully inclusive oversight and guidance of Socure’s industry leading product suite and integration into Government systems.  In Neal's previous public position, he built and led the digital identity platform for one of the largest states. In this role Neal accomplished major digital transformations migrating the State’s existing identity system to a cloud identity system, implementing Single Sign On to thousands of applications (Unemployment, BMV, Medicaid, etc) including MFA and identity verification services. Additionally, Neal led the User Experience/Website platform with over 150+ government websites, and the digital platform for State’s coronavirus pandemic response. At Socure, Neal continues to lead all of Socure's major projects as a dedicated advisor to the State's business and implementation teams. 

William (Bill) Rials, Ph.D.

Senior Fellow, Center for Digital Government

William (Bill) Rials, Ph.D., is an Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Senior Professor of Practice at Tulane University where he oversees academic programs in information technology, cybersecurity, emerging technologies, and other applied fields. He leads strategic curriculum development, assessment, new program design, and faculty governance with a focus on preparing adult learners for rapidly evolving digital and AI-driven careers. Beyond higher education, Dr. Rials is recognized nationally as a leading voice at the intersection of government, technology, and education. He serves as a Senior Fellow with both the Center for Digital Government and Education and the Center for Public Sector AI, where he provides strategic insights on innovation, workforce transformation, and the responsible use of emerging technologies. A frequent keynote speaker, panelist, and moderator, he engages national audiences on topics ranging from AI adoption and cybersecurity resilience to digital transformation in state and local government. His expertise is regularly featured in national media outlets and industry publications, and he contributes scholarship, commentary, and research in both academic journals and practitioner platforms. Earlier in his career, Dr. Rials held various senior technology leadership roles in both state and local governments, where he focused on large-scale modernization and innovation initiatives overseeing enterprise IT strategy, cybersecurity programs, and digital service delivery. In these roles, he led efforts to expand cloud adoption, strengthen information security, and modernize legacy systems to improve efficiency and transparency for citizens and public employees. His work in government laid the foundation for his ongoing research and national thought leadership on the adoption of emerging technologies in the public sector. He holds a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration and Public Administration from Jackson State University, an M.S. in Computer Information Systems and Cybersecurity from Missouri State University, and a B.S. in Business Administration from Belhaven University.

Brian Cohen — Moderator

Vice President of the Center for Digital Government and Center Digital Education

Brian Cohen is the Vice President of the Center for Digital Government and Center Digital Education. Prior to joining the Center, Brian served for 30 years in IT leadership roles with the City of New York and most recently with the City University of New York (CUNY). As the Vice-Chancellor and University CIO at CUNY, Brian directed the Office of Computing and Information Services (CIS), developed, and managed the enterprise IT vision, strategy and day-to-day technology operations of the University. His areas of focus included academic and business systems, cloud strategies, IT policies and procedures, Cybersecurity, project management, IT resiliency and disaster recovery, and network and telecommunications. During his time with the City of New York, Brian developed the City of New York’s E-Government strategy, implemented the City’s award-winning nyc.gov website, and managed the City’s effort to address the Y2K technology challenge.

Webinar

Ghost Students, Real Threats: Stopping Financial Aid Fraud Before It Starts