Big Scam on Campus?

May 26, 2007 — -- Gaining admission to Stanford University is a dream for countless high school students. But not getting in to Stanford apparently does not mean that you can't go. That was the case for 18-year-old Azia Kim -- a graduate of Troy High School in Fullerton, Calif. -- who for months fooled Stanford undergraduates into believing she was one of their own.

Though university officials would not confirm the identity of the imposter, Stanford has announced a "comprehensive investigation into a non-student allegedly living in university residences," according to a statement issued by the university. Several people with knowledge of the case confirmed to ABC News that Kim is the imposter. The university's student newspaper, The Stanford Daily, first reported that university officials asked Kim to leave campus May 21, after her alleged fraud was revealed by dormitory officials who had grown suspicious of the young woman.

Stanford undergraduates told ABC News affiliate KGO that Kim persuaded students to let her stay in their dorm rooms by telling them that circumstances had temporarily left her without housing. Kim perpetrated her fraud in at least two separate dorms, moving more recently to Stanford's Asian-themed Okada Hall, according to students. In Okada, Kim persuaded dorm mates to leave a ground floor window open to allow her to enter the building without a key, the Stanford Daily reported.

"It's absolutely mind-boggling that she was able to stay here for that long and not get caught," Stanford student Varun Rachakonda said to KGO. Another student told KGO that he often saw Kim in the dining hall.

The university is still investigating whether Kim actually attended any classes as part of her ruse, but students told the Stanford Daily that she bought textbooks and participated in student study sessions. Stanford has appointed an associate dean to lead the investigation, which will also seek to "discover where there may be gaps in Stanford's system of identifying enrolled students," according to a statement issued by the university.

Though speculation abounds on campus, exactly why Kim went to such lengths to pose as a Stanford student remains unknown. Some who knew her before her deception was launched say they saw no indication of trouble.

Bert Yun, the Youth Minister at the Cornerstone Church in Harbor City, Calif., knew Kim well as regular member of the church's high school group. "She was a very good person, she was very good, kind, nice, very responsible and a hard worker, " Yun told ABC News.

Yun said that he had heard Kim did well academically at Troy High School, which Newsweek ranks among the top-scoring schools in the nation in an important standardized college placement exam. "Before she left she told me she was going to Stanford," he said. Though privacy concerns prohibit officials from saying who has applied to Stanford, the university confirms that Kim has never been offered admission.

Yun communicated with Kim on one occasion by instant message while she was at Stanford. "She said she was having fun, said she liked the school," he said.

"I don't know why she did that. It's kind of shocking to me because she was a very good person, I didn't see anything wrong with her," he said.

Greg Boardman, Stanford's vice provost for student affairs told KGO, "Our students are very trusting, kind and I think they were taken of advantage of here and we just want to make sure that doesn't happen again."

University officials said that the results of their investigation, which also involves campus police, will be submitted to the Santa Clara County district attorney. Prosecutors could not say whether Kim might face charges, and have not yet received any information on the case from Stanford. "Anything that's submitted to us, we will review for criminal conduct," said Santa Clara County assistant district attorney David Tomkins. "We will review it and make a decision."

Kim could be charged with trespassing or theft of services.

Administrators say they don't know where Kim is staying now, only that she is no longer on campus.

ABC News' Jessica Rutherford contributed to this report.