Calls related to student loan scams surge as payments with interest set to start in October

NORTH CAROLINA (WTVD) -- As federal student loan payments are set to resume on October 1st, robocalls surrounding student loan forgiveness scams are surging.

Transaction Network Services (TNS), a company that analyzes calls across dozens of carrier networks, says more than 350,000 student loan robocalls have been placed nationwide in the last two weeks.

Jim Tyrrell with TNS says, "In the last, three weeks alone we've seen more calls made about student loan scams than we have in the three months."

TNS data shows North Carolina received 14,107 student loan robocalls since August 21.

During these calls, the scammers offer to lower or postpone monthly student loan payments or sometimes offer full loan forgiveness.

"They will throw around they are with the Department of Education, so they're going to sound as legit as possible," Tyrrell adds. The scammers' goal is to get your personal information or money. North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein says, "If ever they ask you for upfront fees, you know they are crooks because that's against the law in North Carolina. If they're pressuring you, you almost for sure, they're a criminal."

Don't ever give anyone your FSA ID login information or passwords. If you have questions, the best place to go is this website. If your loans are private, go directly to your loan servicer.

Besides calls, the Better Business Bureau also warns scammers are sending emails, letters, and texts.

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If you are a victim of a student loan repayment scam, report it right away to the Federal Communications Commission and the NC Attorney General's Office