FBI El Paso issued a press release on Wednesday to warn the public of the potential for criminal actors to defraud individuals seeking federal student loan forgiveness.
Scammers will aim to solicit personally identifiable information, financial information, or payment from potential victims using fraudulent websites, e-mails, texts, or phone scams.
“Scammers will constantly use their effective scam scenarios and tweak them to take advantage of a current situation effecting the community at large. The FBI typically sees this behavior when any new government aid program becomes available,” Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey R. Downey stated in the press release. “The FBI is providing information to the public now to help people recognize the warning signs of potentially fraudulent activity related to the forgiveness of federal student loans. Don’t let a scammer trick you into revealing personally identifiable information or providing any type of payment. The U.S. government will not charge any type of processing fees or require any type of payment to have your federal student loans forgiven.”
Tips to Protect Yourself
>> Remember: The U.S. government will not charge processing fees, in any type of currency – traditional or cryptocurrencies.
>> Do not open links or download images or files from suspicious e-mail addresses.
>> Always consult official U.S. government websites, such as https://studentaid.gov.
>> Confirm any information regarding loan repayment with the financial institution or company providing the loan.
>> Exercise caution when entering any PII or financial information on websites.
>> Ensure there are no spelling or grammatical errors on the website or in the e-mail. This may indicate a potential scam.
If You Are a Victim
>> Contact your financial institution immediately to stop or reverse the transactions. Ask your financial institution to contact the corresponding financial institution where the fraudulent or suspicious transfer was sent.
>> Report the activity to the online payment service used for the financial transaction.
>> Preserve any transaction information, including prepaid cards and banking records and all telephone, text, or e-mail communications.
>> Report to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.IC3.gov as quickly as possible.
>> Monitor your financial accounts and credit reports for fraudulent activity.
>> Report the fraud to the Department of Education at https://studentaid.gov/feedback-center and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau at www.consumerfinance.gov/complaint.
