FAKE COLLEGE WEBSITES: What every College Counselor needs to know
New Exposé by Inside Higher Ed Reveals a Growing AI-Powered Threat to College-Bound Families
If you're an Independent Educational Consultant (IEC), educational advisor, or part of a college counseling practice, trust is everything. And trust starts with accurate, verified information. That's why CounselMore is spotlighting this critically important article published by Inside Higher Ed, co-authored by respected higher education journalists Josh Moody and Kathryn Palmer.
Inside Higher Ed is a premier source of trusted, in-depth reporting on higher education, co-founded by education journalism legend and CounselMore favorite guest-speaker, Scott Jaschik.
This week, they dropped a bombshell:
a growing number of
AI-generated fake college websites are actively scamming prospective students and families. And these aren’t amateur efforts. The sites are slick, convincing, and built to deceive.
What Independent College Counselors Need to Know
1. The Scams Are Sophisticated and Target Your Clients
One of the most convincing examples is Southeastern Michigan University.
Its website is complete with graduation videos, claims of accreditation, fake scholarships, and even live chat support. But the entire site is fabricated.
It's not a real institution. This is just one of nearly 40 fake university websites uncovered so far.
2. The Scams Use AI to Scale Deception
These fake college websites are likely generated using advanced AI tools, including large language models (LLMs) like GPT-4 and GPT-5.
That means scammers can generate dozens of seemingly legitimate college websites in a matter of hours. These scams are also spreading across social platforms like Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook.
Promises are easy to make - they are hard to keep!
3. Fake Accreditors Are Also Part of the Scheme
In some cases, fake college websites include links to equally fake accrediting bodies and even phony versions of the
U.S. Department of Education website.
These interlinked frauds create a false sense of legitimacy that can trick even the most cautious student or parent.
Why This Matters to Educational Planning Professionals
Are you new to college counseling - then you are busy learning about schools - how are you to know which is fake??!!!
If you provide independent college planning services, group college consulting, or operate a high school counseling office, this story hits close to home.
As an IEC, you are often the first line of defense against scams. With AI-generated scams becoming more frequent and more believable, vetting colleges for legitimacy must now be part of the job.
How CounselMore Helps You Stay Ahead
CounselMore tools are designed with data integrity and student privacy at the core.
All CounselMore network counselors:
- Use verified and accredited college databases.
- Do not sell or share student data.
- Operate under ethical codes and professional standards.
Tools like the College Admissions Calculator, College Readiness Curriculum, and College List Balancing Tools help IECs focus on verified, data-driven admissions insights, rather than potentially misleading promotional content.
Steps You Can Take Now
1. Educate Your Clients:
Share this article with parents. Encourage them to always consult with a verified IEC before making decisions based on a college website alone.
2. Use Tools That Protect:
Use college planning software like CounselMore that integrates with real-time, verified admissions data.
3. Stay Informed:
Subscribe to Inside Higher Ed and other reputable outlets that report on threats to higher education credibility.
Trust is the New Currency
The rise of AI-generated fake universities is not just a curiosity—it’s a direct threat to student success and a challenge to the credibility of our profession.
This moment is a reminder that independent college counseling, when done ethically and with the right tools, is more valuable than ever.
Read the full article from Inside Higher Ed here:
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/tech-innovation/artificial-intelligence/2025/08/14/inside-network-fake-college-websites
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Tags: Independent Educational Consultant, College Counseling Software, College Admissions, Fake Universities, AI in Higher Ed, College List Building, Application Tracker, Student Privacy, Verified College Data, Higher Education Scams, Educational Consulting
