The accused - coaches, examiners and parents too - are suspected of fraud, conspiracy and participating in organized crime, report various US media sources. Among the universities involved in this scandal are Yale University, the University of Southern California, Stanford University and Georgetown University.

The parents, who include the actresses Felicity Huffman (Desperate Housewives) and Lori Loughlin (Full House), are supposed to have paid in total some 25 million US dollars between 2011 and 2019 to secure study places for their children. Sports coaches are supposed to have ensured that the children were enrolled as athletes. In the United States talented athletes are more likely than other students to be admitted to a university.