FAFSA scammers pretending to be from EdFinancial - requesting 6-digit verification codes

This is 100% a phishing scam. What they're doing is trying to get your verification code so they can log into your actual account. NEVER give anyone this code over the phone. EdFinancial or any legitimate servicer will NEVER call you and ask for a verification code that was just sent to your phone. They're using social engineering tactics - making it sound urgent, acting like they have authority, and using just enough of your personal info to seem legitimate. The fact they had your old address is concerning but unfortunately not surprising. There have been several data breaches over the years with loan servicers. Report this to both EdFinancial and the Federal Student Aid office directly. You should also place a fraud alert on your credit reports with all three bureaus.

omg this just happened to my roommate last week!!! they kept calling her over and over about 'urgent IDR recertification' and knew her old email and graduation year. super scary

This is definitely a growing problem. Those 6-digit codes are multi-factor authentication codes that would give them complete access to your account. Once they're in, they could change your contact information, banking details for autopay, or even apply for consolidation/forgiveness programs and redirect communications to themselves. For anyone dealing with legitimate FAFSA or loan servicer issues who is having trouble getting through to a real person at FSA, I've had great success using Claimyr (claimyr.com). They'll get you through to an actual agent without the hours-long wait times. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ that shows how it works. Used it last month when I was dealing with verification issues and it saved me so much frustration.

I got these EXACT SAME CALLS!!!! They said they were from "The Federal Student Forgiveness Department" which isn't even a real thing lol. But they knew my loan amounts from 2020 which was SUPER creepy. The guy got mad when I wouldn't give him the code and said I'd "miss out on thousands in forgiveness" WHATEVER DUDE

This is unfortunately becoming extremely common. I work in financial aid at a community college, and we've had dozens of students report similar scam attempts in the past few months. Here's what everyone should know: 1. Federal loan servicers will communicate primarily through your online account or mail, not unsolicited calls 2. They will NEVER ask for your FSA ID password or verification codes 3. Real forgiveness programs are free to apply for - no one should be charging you 4. Always log in directly to studentaid.gov or your servicer's official website (type it yourself, don't click links) 5. If you're unsure about a call, hang up and call the official number on your servicer's website The Department of Education and FSA are aware of these scams and are investigating, but they're very sophisticated operations now. Everyone should enable all available security features on their FSA and servicer accounts if you haven't already.

These scams have gotten incredibly sophisticated. I've been tracking them for the past year, and they seem to be using data from multiple breaches combined with public records to create very convincing profiles. They specifically target people with federal student loans and often know: - Old addresses - Approximate loan balances - Where you went to school - Original loan servicer names They're counting on the fact that most people don't perfectly remember all their loan details from years ago, so when they reference something that sounds vaguely familiar, you assume they must be legitimate. EdFinancial specifically had a security incident last year that affected some borrowers, but there have been several breaches across various servicers. Always verify independently by hanging up and calling the official number.

this happens with EVERY govt program it seems lik. i get calls about my 'car warranty' and 'medicare benefits' too and i dont even HAVE medicare lol. the whole system is broken

UPDATE: I called EdFinancial directly this morning using the number from their official website. They confirmed these calls were NOT from them and recommended I change my FSA ID password and enable two-factor authentication on all my accounts. They also said they've received "numerous similar reports" in the past month. Seems like this is a widespread issue right now. The representative said they're "looking into it" but couldn't tell me if there was a new data breach or not.

Thanks for sharing this warning! I'm a new member here but have been dealing with student loans for years. This is exactly why I always hang up and call back using the official number if anyone contacts me about my loans. One thing I learned from a fraud prevention seminar - these scammers often use "urgency" as their main tactic. Phrases like "final opportunity," "deadline expires today," or "limited time offer" are huge red flags. Legitimate loan servicers and government programs don't operate with surprise urgent deadlines over random phone calls. For anyone who might have already given out personal info to these scammers, you should also consider freezing your credit reports with all three bureaus (Experian, Equifax, TransUnion) as an extra precaution. It's free and you can always unfreeze them when you need to apply for credit legitimately. Stay vigilant everyone - these scams are only getting more sophisticated!

This is such a valuable thread - thank you to everyone sharing their experiences! As someone new to this community, I'm shocked by how widespread this scam has become. I wanted to add that if anyone is unsure whether a call is legitimate, you can always ask the caller for a reference number and tell them you'll call back after verifying their identity through official channels. A legitimate representative will understand and provide you with proper documentation. Scammers, on the other hand, will usually get aggressive or try to pressure you into staying on the line. Also, for those mentioning difficulties reaching FSA directly - I've found that their online chat feature (when available) sometimes has shorter wait times than phone calls. You can access it through the official studentaid.gov website. It's not always staffed, but when it is, it can be a good alternative to sitting on hold for hours. Stay alert everyone, and thanks again for sharing these important warnings!