Today the FTC and state attorneys general from across the country announced a crackdown on phony student loan debt relief companies that use deception and false promises to prey on consumers trying to pay off their student loans. This collaborative effort has led to more than 30 enforcement actions, including seven cases by the FTC. When the FTC finds companies deceiving student loan borrowers, we will take action to stop them. You can report these scams at FTC.gov/complaint. And check out FTC.gov/studentloans for more information about how to spot student loan debt relief scams.
Transcript
Hello – I’m Maureen Ohlhausen.
Today the FTC and state attorneys general from across the country announced a crackdown on phony student loan debt relief companies that use deception and false promises to prey on consumers trying to pay off their student loans.
This collaborative effort has led to more than 30 enforcement actions, including seven cases by the FTC.
The actions targeted companies that:
- falsely claimed to be government entities or loan servicers, or to work with them;
- falsely promised that consumers who bought their debt relief services would have their payments reduced, or their loans forgiven; and
- illegally collected fees in advance before obtaining the promised debt relief.
When the FTC finds companies deceiving student loan borrowers, we will take action to stop them. You can report these scams at FTC.gov/complaint. And check out FTC.gov/studentloans for more information about how to spot student loan debt relief scams.