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Amazon announced Tuesday that it is hiring more than 300,000 workers across the U.S. for the holiday season.

The jobs include seasonal, part-time and full-time roles across Amazon's U.S. core operations network, with new openings expected to be posted weekly from October through December.

Seasonal employees will earn an average of $20 an hour. Full-time operations workers start at a minimum of $20 an hour, according to the company. 

Average hourly pay across Amazon's core operations workforce is nearly $24.

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The retail giant also announced an expansion of healthcare benefits.

Starting Jan. 1, 2027, seasonal employees who work at least 30 hours per week will be eligible for healthcare coverage beginning on their first day of employment. 

Plans will start at $5 per week with $5 copays, the company said.

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Seasonal workers hired before Jan. 1 who meet the eligibility requirements will gain access to the coverage when the new benefit takes effect.

The hiring surge marks Amazon's first increase in holiday recruitment in three years as it prepares for a jump in orders, according to Reuters.

"Our employees are at the heart of everything we do," the company said. "These investments reflect our continued commitment to making Amazon a place where people can earn, learn, and create opportunities for themselves and their families."

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"Whether someone joins us for a season or builds a career here, we want them to feel valued and supported for the work they do. We deliver the future together."

The announcement also follows Amazon's recent investment of more than $1.5 billion in additional pay for its U.S. core operations workforce.

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Reuters contributed to this report.

Lionel Messi's international career is over, and Topps paid homage in a major way.

The trading card company honored the 2022 World Cup winner with a "Final Farewell" pack, which flew off the shelves in record fashion.

Fanatics announced, via The Athletic, that 664,325 orders of the packs were made, the most in company history, all made in just one week.

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The previous record was 653,737 orders celebrating Shohei Ohtani's 50-50 season in 2024.

The orders ran from Oct. 9 through Oct. 16.

Messi played in his first World Cup in 2006 and originally said that his victory in 2022 would be his final, but he participated in the 2026 edition in the United States. Argentina lost in the final to Spain, and it was the second time Messi had been a runner-up.

An eight-time Ballon d'Or winner, he played in 34 matches and scored 21 goals while handing out 12 assists in his six total appearances. He received the Golden Ball award in both 2014 and 2022.

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This past World Cup was arguably his best, scoring eight goals and recording four assists, both his most in any World Cup competition.

Messi played in his final game for Argentina earlier this month in a friendly against Benin, where he scored his 126th and final international goal. He had 11 total hat tricks, including one against Algeria in this year's World Cup.

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Messi currently plays for Inter Miami in Major League Soccer, where his contract expires after the 2028 season at age 41.

Rising mortgage rates have shifted some advantages to prospective homebuyers this fall even as rates above 7% are reducing the purchasing power buyers have available.

Realtor.com's market clock report for the third quarter was released on Monday and found that the national market clock now sits at 4 o'clock after it shifted one hour in favor of buyers since the second quarter, with the time indicating a late balanced market that's trending toward buyers.

Around the country, the number of outright sellers' markets declined from 39 to 27 in the past 12 months, while the number of buyer's markets rose from 13 to 17.

The 55 remaining markets are sitting in balanced territory, with 49 loosening toward buyers and six tightening in favor of sellers.

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Higher mortgage rates have slowed the number of sales and increased inventory levels in the market, prompting sellers to offer price cuts and concessions in an effort to attract buyers.

But while buyers are gaining stronger leverage in their negotiations with sellers, that isn't replacing the lost purchasing power they're facing due to the higher mortgage rates.

Realtor.com senior economist Jake Krimmel noted that mortgage rates rose 74 basis points in a little more than a month, jumping from 6.66% in late August to 7.4% on Oct. 8.

For a would-be homebuyer who has a budget for a $2,000 monthly principal-and-interest payment, the spike in mortgage rates erased about $22,000 in home purchasing power.

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The Realtor.com market clock analysis showed significant regional divergences across regions as the relative leverage of buyers and sellers varied widely in different parts of the country.

Markets in the Midwest remained favorable for sellers and accounted for 16 of the 27 seller-friendly markets in the country where lower home prices are keeping demand elevated and inventory levels relatively low.

The Northeast has experienced a systemic lack of supply but unexpectedly saw the largest decline in seller's markets, which fell from 11 to five over the last year as conditions in higher-cost metro areas like Boston and Providence eased amid higher inventory levels.

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The South led the country in the number of buyer's markets, adding three since September 2025 to bring the total to 14. The number of seller's markets in the South also declined from seven to two.

The West had zero buyer's markets in June, but picked up three by September as Bakersfield and Riverside, California, switched columns along with Colorado Springs, Colorado.

The metro areas that are currently in peak buyer's markets are Greenville, South Carolina, and Nashville, Tennessee. There was just one metro area, Hartford, Connecticut, where conditions reflect a peak seller's market.

United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby is mum when it comes to his own money, even as he calls for a national wealth tax and says income inequality is a "danger" to society.

Kirby, who took home about $32.3 million in total compensation in fiscal year 2025, made the remarks when asked about declining public trust in corporate executives during an interview with The New York Times. His compensation includes salary, stock awards and performance incentives. That was about 334 times the airline’s median employee compensation of $96,670, according to United’s 2026 proxy statement.

"We should have a national wealth tax — it won’t work by state, because people will just move," Kirby told the Times. "And I think we should have inheritance taxes that get close to 100 percent at some level. I would pay them."

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"Wealth inequality has become a danger to our society, and we need to address that," Kirby added.

Kirby did not specify how much wealth someone would need to have before facing his proposed near-total inheritance tax, or what rate he would support for a national wealth tax.

FOX Business reached out to United to ask how the company's CEO can justify taking in $32.3 million in compensation while arguing that growing wealth inequality poses a threat to American society.

FOX Business also asked if Kirby plans to take a reduction in compensation to share the wealth with his employees. FOX Business did not receive a response to either question.

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Kirby's comments prompted pushback on X, where some users threatened to take their business elsewhere.

"And just like that @united will never get another dime from me," one user wrote.

WHEN AIRLINE PILOTS SAY THERE ARE SAFETY ISSUES, WE NEED POLICYMAKERS TO LISTEN AND ACT

Another urged Kirby to focus on the basics of running an airline.

"@united your CEO is making me question flying your airline. Flight safety, price, timeliness. That should be his focus," the user wrote. "How about we start with not charging $500 for basic 2 hour domestic routes?"

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Kirby also defended charging travelers more for certain seats during the same interview, after being asked about passengers without frequent-flier status paying to avoid middle seats.

"There are some customers who want to sit in a window seat or a better seat, and that costs money to deliver," he told the Times.

Fox News Digital's Bradford Betz contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump announced an $8 billion Harvest Fuel Relief payment to farmers this harvest season to offset rising diesel costs and other increased input expenses amid disruptions to the global energy supply caused by attacks from Iran and its terrorist proxies in the Middle East.

"And some more goodies — you know, I always heard that when you're president, you have a little bit of an advantage, and I sort of see why now, actually, I sort of see why: Tonight, I'm also pleased to announce that the Department of Agriculture will be launching a new Harvest Fuel Relief program, providing our farmers with $8 billion in support to offset diesel costs during this harvest season," Trump said at a rally at the Heartland Credit Union Arena in Park City, Kansas, near Wichita, stumping for Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan.

"And Roger Marshall is the leader who fought for that to happen. Roger got it to happen. Good job, Roger."

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Trump compared this farmer bailout fund to the $12 billion Farmer Bridge Assistance (FBA) program given earlier this year and the total of $28 billion given to farmers in his first administration, including $12 billion before the 2018 midterms.

"And when the Republicans win, we will pass even more funding for our farmers," Trump continued. "We love our farmers.

"I just gave the farmers $12 billion, and in my first term, I gave them $28 billion, if you remember. And that came out of the tariff money from China. China paid it. It was a gift from China."

DEMOCRATS REVOLT OVER TRUMP ADMIN'S $20B AID PLAN, CITING US FARM CRISIS

The USDA announced the $8 billion Harvest Fuel Relief program will provide proportional support based on modeled losses during the 2026 crop year. Payments will be calculated using planted acres, production-cost estimates, yields and prices.

Commodity-specific payment rates for major crops are expected to be released in November. The program will be administered by the Farm Service Agency and funded through the Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act.

Trump also highlighted a recent executive order waiving the off-road requirement for red-dyed diesel, allowing farmers and truckers to purchase the fuel tax-free.

HOW MUCH DID TRADE WAR RELIEF COST DURING TRUMP'S FIRST TERM?

"Even without that, as soon as that war ends, you're going to see a plunge because there's so much oil and diesel around," Trump said.

The USDA said the program follows $12 billion in bridge payments distributed to more than 560,000 farmers earlier this year and nearly $14 billion in recent Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage payments.

"President Trump is the most pro-farmer president of my lifetime, and he is continuing to put farmers first every day," Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins wrote in a statement Monday. "Today, I am proud to announce alongside President Trump more targeted relief is coming to our farmers through the Harvest Fuel Relief program. This $8 billion dollar investment will help bring certainty to our farmers during this harvest so they can continue to feed our nation."

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Rollins, posting the rally announcement on X, hailed the move as "delivering critical support to farmers facing rising costs and market disruptions."

"President Trump is putting FARMERS FIRST and delivering when they need it most!" she wrote.

Walmart announced Tuesday it is rolling out a new membership bundle that gives shoppers access to both Walmart+ and Sam’s Club Plus for $120 a year, nearly $100 less than purchasing the two memberships separately.

The bundle works out to the equivalent of $10 per month, though Walmart said it will only be available as an annual membership and will not include a monthly option or free trial.

The launch comes after Walmart reported continued growth across its membership and e-commerce businesses in its most recent quarterly results in August.

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During the company's second-quarter fiscal 2027 earnings call on Aug. 20, Furner said membership fee revenue increased 17% to an all-time high.

"Marketplace, fulfillment services, membership, advertising and other commerce solutions are strengthening our business, and they are improving the economics of the company," he said at the time.

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Furner also said Walmart+ membership grew by double digits during the quarter, while Sam's Club membership posted growth in the U.S., China and Mexico.

Walmart+ currently costs $98 for the standard annual plan, while Sam's Club Plus costs $120 a year.

The new bundle rivals Amazon Prime, which costs $139 annually.

WALMART EXPANDS DRONE DELIVERY TO 2 MAJOR US CITIES

Members will receive the benefits of both programs, including free delivery from Walmart and Sam’s Club, access to Sam’s Club locations and member-only pricing, a choice between Peacock and Paramount+, gas discounts and 2% Sam’s Cash on eligible purchases, according to the retailer.

Annual Walmart+ members can add Sam’s Club Plus for an additional $22 per year, while existing Sam’s Club members can upgrade to Plus for $60 and receive Walmart+ at no additional cost.

Current Sam’s Club Plus members will be able to activate Walmart+ at no additional charge.

Walmart also said U.S. field associates at Walmart and Sam’s Club will receive access to both memberships as part of their employee benefits.

The new offering comes as consumers continue to contend with higher prices. Inflation climbed 3.7% in September from a year earlier, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Consumer Price Index. Gasoline prices rose more than 34% over the past year, while grocery prices climbed 1.8%.

The Federal Aviation Administration announced on Monday that it had proposed a fine of $351,000 against a private charter company for alleged unauthorized flights.

The civil penalty was proposed against Creamer Pilot Services of Fayetteville, Arkansas, according to the FAA, which accused the company of "conducting unauthorized passenger-carrying operations."

Creamer Pilot Services, which does business as Jett Aircraft, allegedly operated 31 passenger-carrying flights using three aircraft that were not on its Operations Specifications, according to the FAA.

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The agency said the violations happened on various dates between October 2021 and July 2022.

The FAA also claims Creamer Pilot Services conducted six passenger-carrying flights on two aircraft that were on its Operations Specifications but traveled outside the 48 contiguous U.S. states when the company was not authorized for those flights.

Those violations happened between April 2022 and November 2022, the FAA said.

The FAA alleges that all 37 violations were conducted by Creamer Pilot Services "knowingly, carelessly and recklessly."

FOX Business has reached out to the company for comment.

Jett Aircraft was founded in 2011, according to the company's website, while Creamer Pilot Services began operating charter flights under an FAA Part 135 air carrier certificate in 2018.

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"Founded in 2011, Jett Aircraft was established with a strong focus on delivering exceptional customer service. The company was named after its founder, Lance Creamer's grandson, Jett Allen. Creamer has been involved in the aircraft industry since 1987 and possesses three decades of valuable industry experience," the website reads.

"At Jett Aircraft, we are dedicated to providing world-class travel experiences from our base in Northwest Arkansas and beyond. We continuously strive for excellence in all aspects of our operations," it continues.

Nearly 1.6 million pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products, including hot dogs, bacon, brisket and ham, are facing a recall over potential "temperature abuse" during storage, according to federal officials.

Kayem Foods Inc. issued a voluntary recall for about 1,584,361 pounds of ready-to-eat food items, the Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced over the weekend.

FSIS gave the recall its highest-level classification, meaning there is a "reasonable probability" that consuming the affected products could cause "serious, adverse health consequences or death."

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The meat and poultry products were shipped to retail and foodservice locations across the country, as well as to Hong Kong.

The affected items were produced approximately from March 31 through Oct. 7. The products bear establishment numbers "EST. M/P 7839," "EST. P 20935A" and "EST. M 9520" inside the USDA mark of inspection.

Kayem Foods Inc. has provided a nine-page list of all the affected items, which includes Kayem Beef & Pork Hot Dogs, Kayem Double Smoked Thick Cut Bacon, Kayem Slow Smoked Beef Brisket, Genoa Hot Ham, Al Fresco Roasted Pepper & Asiago Chicken Sausage and Triple M Boneless Ham Steaks.

The problem was discovered after the company received a retail customer complaint about warm product temperatures at the point of delivery on October 1.

The firm investigated the complaint and determined that they stored various ready-to-eat meat and poultry products in a warehouse cooler that experienced temperature deviations.

Kayem said the temperature deviations resulted from a cooling-system malfunction at one of its warehouses. The company said it has corrected the issue and is conducting the recall out of an abundance of caution.

MORE THAN 82K RECHARGEABLE HAND WARMERS RECALLED OVER FIRE RISK

There have been no confirmed reports of illness linked to the consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an illness is urged to contact a healthcare provider.

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FSIS said it is concerned that some affected items may be in consumers’ refrigerators.

Consumers who have purchased these products are directed not to consume them and to instead throw them away or return them to the place of purchase.

Artificial intelligence giant Anthropic remained mum on whether the company would consider giving away shares it pledged to a public benefit fund directly to Americans.

The company announced Sunday that it plans to commit 5% of its shares to a new Anthropic Public Benefit Fund, which could support nonprofit donations or direct distributions to specific populations.

"We’re committing a portion of Anthropic’s shares to the Anthropic Public Benefit Fund, a new wholly owned entity dedicated entirely to the public benefit. It will start off with 5% of our shares. For every 50% increase in the company’s value over a set baseline, we can contribute up to an extra 2%, subject to our board’s discretion. In total, this means that roughly 20% of Anthropic’s shares are committed to the public good," Anthropic said in a Sunday post on X.

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Fox News Digital asked Anthropic whether it intends to distribute any of the shares to American children or families. The company did not respond to multiple requests for comment on Monday.

In response to Anthropic's announcement about the fund on X, Elon Musk urged the AI company to take a more direct route.

"I recommend giving the shares directly to the public," Musk wrote on X.

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Musk later pledged to give one SpaceX share to every child in America next year, though he has not explained how the giveaway would work.

"Next year, I will give one of my SpaceX shares to every kid in America. This will be the first of many," he wrote in a Monday post on X.

President Donald Trump on Monday afternoon thanked Musk for his pledge.

"A BIG THANK YOU to our legendary friend, Elon Musk, for his incredible generosity in giving SpaceX Stock to millions of American children through TRUMP ACCOUNTS!" Trump posted on Truth Social. "This is exactly what was envisioned when we created TRUMP ACCOUNTS — Bringing together the GREAT PRIVATE SECTOR, Elon and so many more, to invest in our children, by far our greatest and most important asset, and give every American Child a piece of the American Dream."

We all know Senator Elissa Slotkin hit a new low in lawfare and weaponization jihad, with her remarks at the University of Chicago last week, but what’s particularly interesting is that I can’t seem to find any leading Democrat who disagrees with Ms. Slotkin’s pledge to punish young people for working in a Republican administration. So far all the objections are coming from either Republican officials or Republican leaning commentators, but nothing from Democrats. Surprise, surprise. Don’t you remember President Biden and the party of democracy? And all those awful things that President Trump did undermining American democracy, which have basically come to nothing?

Indeed, as Victor Davis Hanson writes in "The Counterrevolution: The Fall and Rise of Donald Trump and the MAGA Movement," every time Jack Smith or Alvin Bragg or Letitia James or Fani Willis brought even crazier and crazier lawsuits against Mr. Trump, his popularity went up, not down. This was one of the key turning points in Mr. Trump’s successful comeback to win the 2024 election.

So here goes Ms. Slotkin, not even pretending to bring legal charges, insisting that: "I want to look at these signature cases and not just focus on the president, but on the people who enabled him. I want young people coming out of school to say, should I go work for the Trump administration? Like, that sounds fun, I might get an opportunity. I want them to be like, Lord, that might be buying myself a ton of problems that I don’t want, and so let me avoid participating in that. I want that deterrence message sent."

Ms. Slotkin’s point is to bring political prosecution to young Republican staffers, most of whom are schedule C political appointees who want to work for their president in a Republican administration. Then again the tables could be turned and it will be young Democrats working as schedule C’s in a Democrat administration. That’s how crazy this idea is.

Ms. Slotkin is not even trying to bring a legal case, which would be lawfare. This is just weaponization, which is basically just showing up for work. It’s got to be a new low in the world of political harassment.

As the ace New York Post columnist, Miranda Devine, puts it: "This is how the Bolshevik left who control today’s Democratic Party play the game. "Well that works, because after all the socialists are taking over the Democratic Party. And as one great leap forward leads to another, we go from big government socialism to outright Bolshevism. Lenin would be proud.

Remember, our former CIA operative, Ms. Slotkin, is using her presumed spymaster skills in such a malevolent way, that I wish she’d stayed at the CIA and prosecuted Russian enemies, or even Communist Chinese enemies. Anyway it’s disgraceful.

In response to the outrage from Senator Mike Lee and many others, here’s what Ms. Slotkin posted on X: "Spare me the pearl-clutching — especially from Republican Members of Congress and online MAGA grifters who have cheered President Trump’s weaponization of the government against those he doesn’t like, as recently as last week."

Actually, the best response I’ve seen to Ms. Slotkin comes from our pal Ben Domenech of the Daily Wire, whose elegant solution to the bolshie weaponization is for Mr. Trump to announce before leaving office that he has pardoned every single Schedule C political appointee to his administration.

Very elegant, especially in the post-Hunter Biden period of American history. Tomorrow, I will be talking to Mr. Domenech some more about the tactics of legal terrorism from the democracy-hating Democratic party.

The rise of socialism in U.S. politics has free market advocates looking for new ways to make the case for preserving public support for capitalism and economic freedom.

Sam Gregg, president of the American Institute of Economic Research, spoke with FOX Business and noted that in recent years there has been "a rise on the political left of people who describe themselves as democratic socialists," adding that these "are not people of your old-style Democratic Party, these are not your JFK Democrats."

"These are people who fundamentally disagree with the economic settings of the United States, and they want the U.S. to essentially look much more like what you might call a European social democracy," he said.

"Those of us who believe in free markets, I think, really need to improve our game in terms of persuading people on the right and the left as to why these bad policies don't work," Gregg said.

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"People who are free marketers are very good at talking about policy… What we're less good at is invoking the type of moral language that is necessary if you want to persuade people," he said.

"People will be persuaded up to a point by economic arguments, but they're also wanting to know that they're doing the right thing, they're doing the good thing."

Gregg said that free market arguments need to not only highlight economic prosperity and wealth that capitalism can deliver, but also emphasize that "it's a broader fight for liberty, it's also a broader way of thinking about how people can participate in the American Dream and pursue all sorts of things."

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"Once the government starts shutting down economic freedom, other freedoms quickly follow. Once you start to compromise property rights, it's not just your economic freedom that becomes constricted," Gregg said.

"It's your ability to get up and move. It's your ability to freely associate with people. It's your ability to hold opinions without thinking that if you hold the wrong political opinion, the government's going to take your property away from you," he said.

Polling data suggests that while socialism is gaining ground in terms of favorability, it remains well behind capitalism. A Fox News poll conducted Oct. 9-12 found that 51% of voters had a favorable view of capitalism, down 2 points from a year ago and 6 points from early 2019, while socialism had a 32% favorability rating in the latest poll, up 5 points from last year and 7 points from 2019.

THE HISTORY OF SOCIALISM IN THE US – AND WHY THE AMERICAN DREAM PREVAILS

Gregg, who is writing a new book about the civilization of commerce, aims to "point out that the argument for free markets includes good economic policy, it includes things like respecting people's economic liberty."

"When you live in a free market economy and the institutions and policies that buttress that, you have many more opportunities to pursue happiness… to transform your lives, not just in economic ways, but at the level of your family, in the culture, in everything we do," Gregg said. "It adds up to a much richer, more dynamic, frankly more interesting society than all the alternatives."

JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon warned that while the U.S. economy is being driven by both consumer spending and business investment, there are five economic threats that may challenge that growth.

Dimon's comments were included in JPMorgan's quarterly earnings release last week, which noted the nation's largest bank missed Wall Street analysts' profit expectations.

"The U.S. economy continued to be fueled by strong business investment and ongoing consumer spending," Dimon said.

"However, large fiscal deficits, sticky inflation, elevated asset prices, rising interest rates and geopolitical conditions continue to shift under the surface," he added. "These forces may be manageable, but we remain prepared for a wide range of outcomes."

CONSUMER INFLATION ROSE FASTER THAN EXPECTED IN SEPTEMBER, CPI REPORT SAYS

Dimon's concerns come as fresh economic data showing that inflation accelerated more than expected in September was released on Wednesday.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics released the September consumer price index (CPI), which showed headline CPI rose 3.7% year over year – above the 3.6% estimate of economists polled by LSEG. Core CPI, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, was up 2.6% from a year ago, which was also hotter than the expectations of economists who estimated a 2.5% rise.

Both core and headline CPI inflation are well above the Federal Reserve's 2% target rate, setting up a potential interest rate hike by policymakers before the end of the year. The central bank's next two monetary policy meetings are in late October and mid-December.

FEDERAL BUDGET DEFICIT HITS $2T AS NATIONAL DEBT COSTS SURGE

Higher interest rates on longer-term U.S. Treasurys are caused in part by the Federal Reserve raising its benchmark federal funds rate, as occurred when policymakers met in September.

Other factors also play a significant role in driving interest rates higher, including larger fiscal deficits around the world as well as increased issuance of corporate debt as companies sell bonds to raise capital for the artificial intelligence (AI) buildout and other investments.

Investors seeking higher returns in exchange for purchasing bonds have contributed to the upward pressure on yields.

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Dimon's comments on large budget deficits follow the news that the U.S. federal government had a $2 trillion shortfall in its recently concluded fiscal year 2026.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) reported that the preliminary data showed a $1.993 trillion deficit in fiscal year 2026, which wrapped up at the end of September.

CBO reported that the main drivers of the budget deficit were increased spending on servicing the national debt, with net interest expenses rising by $115 billion, or 11%, from a year ago.

The larger national debt and higher long-term interest rates drove up debt service costs, which were among the largest expenses in the federal budget.

The Treasury Department has identified approximately $270 million in suspicious financial activity potentially linked to fraud targeting federal student aid programs, the agency told FOX Business exclusively.

Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) has referred the findings to federal investigators for further review. The referrals are part of the Trump administration’s broader effort to combat fraud and protect taxpayer dollars.

"Federal student aid is intended to expand educational opportunities, not line the pockets of fraudsters who steal from students pursuing their education and hardworking taxpayers," Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent wrote in a statement before its Monday public release. 

"The Trump administration will not tolerate criminals who exploit government programs for personal gain. Treasury is working with financial institutions and law enforcement to identify these fraud schemes, recover stolen funds, and hold those responsible accountable."

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FinCEN issued an alert to financial institutions in July warning about fraud schemes involving federal student aid refunds. Schools and payment contractors often issue aid refunds electronically, with transaction descriptions that may include the word "refund" along with the school’s name or initials.

The alert noted that criminals may move stolen aid through money mules, shell companies and fraudulent bank accounts to conceal the funds’ source.

Since the alert was issued, financial institutions have filed nearly 100 suspicious activity reports, according to the Treasury Department. FinCEN’s review identified more than 20,000 potentially suspicious transactions dating back to February 2026, totaling approximately $270 million.

Those figures reflect activity reported by financial institutions and do not represent the full scope of student aid fraud. FinCEN has provided the information to law enforcement as tip-and-lead material for possible investigations.

US TREASURY INTERCEPTS NEARLY $99M IN PAYMENTS TO DECEASED PEOPLE

Many schemes involve fraudulent enrollments intended to divert aid from legitimate students. In "ghost student" schemes, criminals use stolen personal information, including names and Social Security numbers, to enroll fake students under victims’ identities.

Fraudsters may also combine stolen information with fabricated details to create synthetic identities capable of passing identity checks, using artificial intelligence agents and tools, according to the Treasury.

"Victims, including minors, often do not know that someone has received student aid in their name," according to the department.

"Federal student aid is meant to support students, not fraudsters," Education Secretary Linda McMahon wrote in a statement provided to FOX Business. "That is exactly why we introduced the new FAFSA fraud detection tool earlier this year, which stops fraud at the start of the federal student aid process. 

"We are proud to partner with the White House Task Force to combat fraud, waste, and abuse across these critical programs – already saving American taxpayers more than $2 billion in less than 2 years."

In "straw student" schemes, fraud rings pay real people for their personal information, enroll them in classes and keep the resulting aid refunds. In some cases, corrupt school employees assist by recruiting participants or altering student records.

WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU LIE ON YOUR FAFSA?

"Student aid fraud has real consequences for students and American taxpayers," the Treasury Department wrote. "It drains finite grant resources from deserving students, potentially prevents legitimate students from enrolling in classes occupied by fraudulent enrollees, and can leave identity theft victims responsible for debts they never incurred."

The department is working with the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, led by Vice President JD Vance, and is encouraging whistleblowers to report suspected fraud, money laundering, sanctions violations and tax law violations.

"Whistleblower tips, combined with financial institutions' reporting under the Bank Secrecy Act, help Treasury and its law enforcement partners uncover criminal networks, recover taxpayer funds, and hold bad actors accountable," Treasury added.

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Treasury is using financial intelligence and coordination with law enforcement to uncover fraud networks, recover taxpayer funds and protect legitimate students.