By REBECCA RUTHERFORD
Los Alamos

By now you have probably heard that the supreme court struck down the Biden student loan forgiveness program. So have all the scammers! The FTC just issued a consumer alert warning consumers about potential scams around student loan forgiveness.

“Scammers often “take advantage of confusion around big news like this,” the FTC said in a consumer alert issued Saturday. “If you’re worried about repaying your loans, the offers to ’help’ can be tempting,” the alert said. “Scammers are likely to start blasting out robocalls and texts about ’helping’ you with your loans.”

A few things to know…

• The supreme court struck down the Biden forgiveness plan, payments are set to resume in the fall; exact date depends on your loan servicer.
  • Log into your FSA (Federal Student Aid) account and check to see who your loan servicer is.
  • Make sure your contact information with them is up to date.
  • If you haven’t already, you can enroll in a repayment plan.

You may get some incoming scam offers to “help” with your student loans, usually for a fee. These offers may come in via email, snail mail, phone calls or text messages. These companies can’t really offer anything that you can’t do yourself for free. Get help at StudentAid.gov/repay; if your loans are private, go directly to your loan servicer.

A few tips to avoid scams…

• Never give away your FSA ID login information. Anyone saying they need it to help you is a scammer. If you share it, the scammer can cut off contact between you and your servicer — and steal your identity.

• Don’t trust anyone who contacts you promising debt relief or loan forgiveness, even if they claim they’re affiliated with the Department of Education. Scammers do their best to look real, with official-looking names, seals, and logos. They offer “special access” to repayment plans or forgiveness options that don’t exist. Don’t fall for the scam; slow down, hang up, and log into your student loan account to review your options. Student loan forgiveness is no longer an option.

If you spot a scam, the FTC wants to hear about it. Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. You can handle your student loan repayment options yourself, and avoid scams. Remain calm, contact your loan servicer, and figure out your options.

Editor’s note: Rebecca Rutherford works in information technology at Los Alamos National Laboratory.