Student Loan Forgiveness Phone Call Scam Examples
Callers claiming to represent a government student loan programme offer immediate forgiveness or cancellation, asking for personal details and an upfront fee to process the application.
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