Payments are restarting for student loan borrowers but the FTC is warning about in increased risk of getting scammed. Leslie Tayne, founder of Tayne Law Group, joined Cheddar News to provide tips on how to avoid scams amid confusion over payment plans and restarting dates.

<div class="block">Payments are restarting for student loan borrowers but the FTC is warning about in increased risk of getting scammed. Leslie Tayne, founder of Tayne Law Group, joined Cheddar News to provide tips on how to avoid scams amid confusion over payment plans and restarting dates.</div>

Stretching Your Dollar

Stretching Your Dollar: How to Avoid Student Loan Scams

Payments are restarting in October for student loan borrowers. But the Federal Trade Commission is warning that along with payments, there's an increased risk of getting scammed. So here to help us understand what it all means is debt attorney Leslie Tane Leslie. It's great to have you on the show. How should borrowers respond to the ftc's warning right now. Borrowers should be aware that repayments are starting October 1st. And as a result, you should be aware that there could be potential scams coming out, especially when there's so much confusion surrounding the student loan repayment and restarting dates. Why is this time especially vulnerable? Why are student loan borrowers more likely to get scanned at this time? Around this time? Around more student loan borrowers are likely to get scammed simply because of the access to information by scammers going through social media and because there's so much confusion surrounding the student loan borrowing in general, it makes it a great opportunity for scammers to come out. So if you are a borrower of student loans, be aware that this is the time that you could be scammed. What's the best way Leslie to spot a scam the best way to spot a scam is to be aware that somebody might be calling you making definitive promises. They may try to charge you upfront for information or details about specific programs or even access to programs. The federal government programs are free. There's no reason to be paying money upfront any type of federal student loan program. In addition, they may be asking for your FS A ID information or they could be asking for your personal information like your tax ID number, social security number or bank account information. So if you think you have been scanned, what should you do? The first thing you should do is change your pass codes to your FS A ID or login. Also your bank account information, start monitoring your credit. Remember that a lot of this, these scammers don't necessarily go after your credit immediately or your personal information. They often wait months or even years. So it's always a good idea to monitor your credit report. The information certainly to the FTC about your experience and also your state and local agencies like your attorney general or Consumer Affairs departments, things to avoid. If you are scammed. What is something that you should not do? In that case if you have been scammed? Don't panic. Remember that there are ways to backtrack and to try to get your money back. If you used a credit card, you could go through your credit card company and you can ask them to reverse it the same through your bank. There are possible ways to reverse certain types of payments. In addition, if you change your identification information and contact your servicer immediately to get on the same page with your servicer, make sure your information is up to date. They have your most recent address, your email and you again, you frequently should be changing your identification codes and your pass codes so that and make them a little bit more complex using numbers, letters and, and different characters so that you could avoid the potential for being a target for a scam. Ok, good to know. So besides student loan borrowers, Leslie, it feels like scams really are everywhere out there. What is the latest scam going around that people should be aware of? There are a few, unfortunately, one of them is aimed at grandparents um and using voice from artificial intelligence. So um capturing your voice and then calling a grandparent or elderly person with that voice information and or asking the elderly person for help for their grandchild. That's one the regular scams that pop up when it comes to debt resolution are out there and they been out there for many years, but they do fluctuate at different times, especially when consumers are burdened with debt as they are right now. So promises for specific forgiveness or debt reduction programs, debt relief programs um could be red flags as well. In addition, of course, the student loan scams that are going around. Now, unfortunately, those that are posing as representatives or from the US Department of Education just because they say they are, doesn't mean that they actually are. If you're concerned about that, it's my recommendation to hang up and contact your servicer and the US Department of Education directly. Ok. And I know you talked about some of the scams that are potentially out there, any specific language verbiage approaches that we haven't covered yet that could be associated with scams. That would be a red flag for viewers, guarantees and promises guaranteed forgiveness, being able to quote, cut the line and get to the head of, of certain programs fees that have to be paid up front and certainly requesting certain information from you, including your bank account information and your personal identification log in information, but guarantees promises time frames and things like that are usually red flags when it comes to any type of scam or questionable type of services. All right. Uh Leslie Tane attorney joining us here with some timely topics, Leslie. Thank you.