Ghosts in the Classroom: How AI Fraud Is Haunting College Campuses
As International Fraud Awareness Week marks 25 years, the Smith School’s Samuel Handwerger warns that AI is fueling both false cheating accusations and large-scale “ghost student” financial-aid fraud—revealing how technology now endangers academic integrity, accountability, and public trust.
UMD Justice for Fraud Victims and State’s Attorney Partner to Fight Financial Crime in Frederick
The University of Maryland’s Justice for Fraud Victims program is partnering with the Frederick County State’s Attorney’s Office Economic Crimes Unit to fight financial crime, following a successful Prince George’s County collaboration, providing forensic accounting and courtroom support for investigations.
Criminal Calculations
University of Maryland students in the Justice for Fraud Victims Project aided police in a high-profile murder case, analyzing financial records to help establish motive. Their work contributed to a first-degree murder conviction and life sentence.
Scammers Meet Their Match: Student Fraud Investigators Spot Rising Threat
When University of Maryland students in the Justice for Fraud Victims project received suspicious job offers via text, their fraud investigation skills—sharpened under faculty advisor Samuel Handwerger at the Smith School—helped uncover "task scams," a scheme costing victims $220M since 2020.
For Whom Does the Bell Toll? It Tolls for CTA
University of Maryland’s Justice for Fraud Victims (JFV) student volunteers recently completed two court-used forensic cases and assisted HOAs with Corporate Transparency Act compliance before a court suspended the law, giving students firsthand experience in real-world legal unpredictability.
Smith’s Justice for Fraud Victims Making Early Impact
In fall 2023, the University of Maryland’s Smith School launched the Justice for Fraud Victims (JFV) initiative, led by Accounting Lecturer Samuel Handwerger. Smith and UMD students investigate fraud cases, producing reports that have already proven effective in court.
Smith’s Justice for Fraud Victims Offering Pro Bono Control Risk Assessment for Nonprofits, Small Firms
Justice for Fraud Victims (JFV) at UMD offers pro bono risk assessments for small businesses and nonprofits. Led by Samuel Handwerger, CPA-supervised assessments identify control weaknesses, providing pragmatic solutions without budget increases. Launched in 2023, JFV engages students in real fraud cases, supported by local law enforcement.