This page does not determine official eligibility and is not legal, tax, financial, or official program advice. Verify current rules with Federal Student Aid, your servicer, or another qualified source before acting.
Quick Answer
Student loan scams often target stressed borrowers with promises of instant forgiveness, urgent deadlines, upfront fees, or requests for account credentials. Borrowers should verify through StudentAid.gov, their servicer, CFPB, FTC, or state attorney general resources before paying.
What Borrowers Should Know
Student loan scams work because borrowers are stressed and rules are confusing. A caller, text, ad, or social post may promise fast forgiveness, a secret program, immediate cancellation, or a limited-time deadline. Real help should not require panic.
Red flags include upfront fees, requests for your FSA ID password, pressure to stop talking to your servicer, claims that only one company can access forgiveness, or promises of guaranteed approval. Be especially careful when the person contacting you already knows part of your loan story. That does not prove they are official.
Verify before you pay. Log in directly at StudentAid.gov, contact your servicer through the number listed in your official account, and use CFPB, FTC, or state attorney general resources if something looks wrong. If you already shared credentials, change passwords, review account activity, and consider filing complaints.
Legitimate student loan education should explain options, documents, and official next steps. It should not pressure you to surrender control of your account.
Action Checklist
- Log in to StudentAid.gov and confirm loan type, servicer, balance, payment status, and current plan.
- Save screenshots or PDFs before submitting any repayment, consolidation, forgiveness, or complaint form.
- Ask your servicer for written confirmation when the answer affects payment amount, eligibility, or deadlines.
- Recheck official sources on the day you act, especially when rules, dates, or application access may have changed.
What This Guide Covers
- Common scam signals.
- Why upfront fees are a warning sign.
- Credential and power-of-attorney cautions.
- How to verify a real servicer or official program.
- What to do if information was shared.
CFPB warns that scammers often make false claims and charge for things borrowers can do themselves for free. Verify offers through official federal sources and never share FSA credentials with a third party.