Student Loan Forgiveness Phone Call Scam Examples
A caller says they can wipe out or fast-track forgiveness of your student loan through a special government programme, but only if you act now and pay an upfront processing or application fee, or hand over your Social Security or National Insurance number and loan login. Genuine forgiveness programmes never charge a fee and never require an inbound call to enrol. The scammer's real goal is your fee payment and enough personal data to open credit or hijack your loan servicing. The most important step is to hang up and contact your loan servicer directly using the number on your statement.
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
Sanitized example messages
Illustrative, sanitized examples. Personal details are replaced with placeholders such as [phone number] and [fake link].
Hi, this is [Organisation Name] calling about your student loans. You may qualify for a federal forgiveness programme that can eliminate up to [amount] of your balance. Can I take a few details to check your eligibility?
This is an important message about your student loan account. New government relief has been approved and you qualify for full cancellation. Press 1 to speak to a specialist.
We are calling because you have been pre-approved for student loan relief. There is a small processing fee of [amount] to submit your application before the programme closes at the end of this month.
Hello, I am calling from the Student Aid Relief Office. Your loans are flagged for consolidation and forgiveness. I just need your loan servicer account number and National Insurance number to proceed.
What the scammer wants
To collect upfront fees for a service that does not exist, and to harvest personal information such as Social Security or National Insurance numbers for identity fraud.
Red flags in the message
- Unsolicited call claiming you are pre-approved for loan forgiveness
- Request for an upfront fee to 'process' or 'unlock' forgiveness
- Urgency: deadline before the programme closes
- Asks for your government ID number or loan servicer login
- Real government loan relief programmes are free and do not cold-call
A safe response
End the call. Legitimate student loan forgiveness applications are free and are handled through your official loan servicer or government portal — not through cold calls.
What not to send
- Social Security or National Insurance number
- Loan servicer login credentials
- Upfront fees or payments
What to do if you already replied
- Contact your actual loan servicer to check your account status
- Place a fraud alert on your credit file if you shared identity numbers
- Report the call to your national fraud reporting service
Evidence to preserve
- Screenshot the full message or call details
- Note the sender number, email, or profile
- Save any links (without clicking) and payment details
- Record dates and times
Frequently asked questions
The caller already had some of my loan details — does that mean it's legitimate?
No. Loan balances, servicer names, and even partial account numbers are bought and sold after data breaches, so a caller knowing them proves nothing. Genuine forgiveness programmes are applied for directly through your loan servicer or a government portal, never enrolled over an inbound call. Verify by calling the servicer number on your official statement, not one the caller gives you.
I already gave them my Social Security number on the call — what should I do now?
Contact your loan servicer immediately to flag the call and check your account for unauthorized changes. Consider a fraud alert or credit freeze with the credit bureaus, and monitor your credit report for new accounts. Acting quickly reduces the window scammers have to use the number.
Is it ever legitimate for someone to call me about loan forgiveness?
Your real loan servicer may contact you about programmes you already qualify for, but will never ask for payment or full credentials over the phone to unlock forgiveness. Any call demanding immediate payment, gift cards, or wire transfer is not legitimate, regardless of who they claim to represent.
Can I get my money back if I already paid the fee?
It depends on how you paid. Gift cards and wire transfers are very hard to reverse once sent, while a card payment may be disputed as fraud through your issuer. Contact your bank or card provider directly and report the transaction as unauthorized.