Hearing a lot about federal student loan forgiveness in the news? You’re not alone, scammers are too. With this, there is a rise in the number of spam calls from scammers saying they’re affiliated with Federal Student Aid (FSA) or the Department of Education. Scammers call to follow up on your eligibility for a new loan forgiveness program, and might even know things about your loan, like the balance or your account number. They’ll try to rush you into acting by saying the program is available for a limited time. But this is all a scam.

StudentAid.gov is the only place to get help managing your federal student loans. The FSA, or your federal loan servicer, will never pressure you to sign up for programs. Here are some tips to help you detect student loan scams:

• Don’t rely on government seals or logos. Scammers use official-looking names, seals, and logos to appear legit.

• Don’t buy promises of special access. There’s no special access to repayment plans or loan forgiveness programs. No one can get you into loan forgiveness programs you don’t qualify for or wipe out your loans. Use your FSA account dashboard to see which programs you might be eligible for.
• Never pay an upfront fee. It’s illegal for companies to charge you before they help you reduce or get rid of your student loan debt.If you pay upfront, you might not get any help, or your money back. Get free help managing your federal loans at StudentAid.gov/repay. If your loans are private, go straight to your loan servicer for help.
• Never share your FSA ID login information. Only scammers will say they need it to help you. If a scammer gets your FSA ID, they could cut you off from your loan servicer, or even steal your identity.

Remembering these tips can protect you from falling victim to loan forgiveness scams. If you do spot a student loan scam, report it at: ReportFraud.ftc.gov.