PHOENIX – Attorney General Kris Mayes is urging student loan borrowers preparing for the return to repayment to be aware of scam calls, emails, text messages, and letters from fraudsters pretending to be loan servicers or promising debt relief.
Scams are likely with the United States Supreme Court's recent decision to strike down the federal government's plan to forgive $10,000, or $20,000 for Pell Grant recipients, of eligible student loan borrowers' federal loan student debt.
"With student loan repayment beginning in the coming weeks, it's important for borrowers to beware that scammers may attempt to take advantage of them," said Attorney General Mayes. "Knowing the signs of a scam, particularly around debt relief and loan consolidation, can help borrowers avoid being defrauded by bad actors. If borrowers feel they have been scammed, they should file a consumer complaint with the Attorney General's Office for assistance."
After several years of a repayment pause, federal student loans will begin accruing interest on September 1, 2023, and payments will resume this October. Loan servicers will notify borrowers at least 21 days before payment is due.
Attorney General Mayes recommends that borrowers take the following steps to prepare for repayment and avoid being an easy target for scammers:
- Update your contact information in your profile on your loan servicer's website and in your StudentAid.gov profile.
- Review your auto-debit enrollment or sign up for the first time. To do so, log in to your loan servicer's website or contact your loan servicer directly.
- Check out Loan Simulator to find a repayment plan that meets your needs and goals or to decide whether to consolidate.
- Consider applying for an income-driven repayment (IDR) plan. An IDR plan can make your payments more affordable, depending on your income and family size.
The most common student loan scams are offers for loan consolidation and offers for debt relief. Borrowers should never pay for these services or give their personal information to third parties. Borrowers can consolidate loans through the U.S. Department of Education and review which reduced payment plans they may qualify for by using the U.S. Department of Education's website at StudentAid.gov. This service is free.
Borrowers should also be aware that consolidating their loans with private lenders could cause them to lose out on benefits such as income-driven repayment plans and other beneficial programs available only to borrowers in federal loan programs.
If you are unsure if a student loan offer is legitimate, below are some additional tips:
- Be cautious of unsolicited phone calls, letters, emails, texts, or social media messages from businesses claiming to offer student loan debt relief.
- Beware of loan assistance offers that make promises of immediate or fast debt forgiveness, cancellation of debt, or mention a looming deadline to act on the offer. Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
- Beware of a company requesting upfront fees to apply for loan programs through the U.S. Department of Education.
- Beware of any program claiming to be affiliated with the government or the U.S. Department of Education but is not part of a government agency or an official loan servicer listed on StudentAid.gov.
- NEVER provide the borrower's FSA ID to unsolicited or unknown sources. It can be used to change the contact information attached to the account so the borrower won't even know what scammers are doing to the loans.
- The government will not request that you make payments through cryptocurrency or gift cards.
Information on the repayment process is available via the U.S. Department of Education's website.
If you have concerns you may be a victim of a student loan scam regarding your federal student loans, contact the U.S. Department of Education or your lender directly to check the status of your student loans and to ensure that the information on your account is correct.
You can also file a consumer complaint by visiting http://www.azag.gov/consumer. If you need a complaint form sent to you, contact the Attorney General's Office in Phoenix at (602) 542-5763, in Tucson at (520) 628-6648, or outside the Phoenix and Tucson metro areas at (800) 352-8431.