On your side: student loan forgiveness scam

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) – We all know COVID-19 has put a punch in our wallets. We were relieved. Most of us have received stimulus checks. The unemployed have been paid in the event of a pandemic. Now there are emails going around – saying you can get student loan forgiveness.

An email reads, ‘Your st uden t oa n maybe el ig ib le f or the rece nt stimulus forged i vene ss and reli e f legislation. ‘

Dale Underwood received the email. He graduated from Missouri State University over ten years ago. Like most, he graduated with debt.

“I could put a down payment on a nice house with what I owe. I mean, the stimulus package itself, there is a lot with it, ”he said.

On Your Side showed the email to a student aid expert.

“The email address it was sent from is not a business email address. It was a prospect and it was kind of a fun email address with just a lot of characters, ”said Becky Ahrens, director of financial aid at Drury University.

The email goes on to say, “Your request must be completed. “

“You cannot end an application that you have not started. And if they contact you to ask you to finish an app that you don’t remember working on, chances are it’s a scam, ”Ahrens said.

There are genuine loan cancellation programs for teachers, government officials, and health care providers. There is a process.

“These are very specific types of loan forgiveness. And the best source to find information on these is to call your loan officer. Just like you wouldn’t call your utility company about your mortgage. If you have questions about your student loans, call your student loans manager, ”Ahrens said.

Underwood didn’t answer. He deleted the email.

“We take so much at face value. When it comes to the Internet, nothing is at face value, ”he said.

Be careful with random phone calls and emails about loan consolidation and forgiveness programs. If they’re using pressure tactics, like saying you have to respond today, it’s probably a scam.

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