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 an important warning - thank you for sharing! I'm relatively new to managing student loans and honestly wouldn't have known these red flags. The fact that they had your old address and loan details is terrifying. I just want to echo what others have said about NEVER giving out those 6-digit verification codes over the phone. Those codes are specifically designed to prove YOU are trying to access YOUR account - not to verify your identity to someone calling you. One thing that might help others: I've started keeping a log of all my legitimate loan servicer communications (emails, letters, account messages) so I have a reference for what real communications look like. It's helped me spot fake emails that don't match the official format. Also, for anyone feeling overwhelmed by all this - don't let fear of scams prevent you from actually managing your loans! Just always initiate contact yourself through official channels rather than responding to unsolicited calls or emails. Your loan servicer's official website will always have the current, legitimate contact information. Stay safe everyone!

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!

This is incredibly helpful - thank you for sharing this warning! I'm new to this community and honestly had no idea these scams were so sophisticated. The fact that they're using old personal information to seem legitimate is terrifying. I wanted to add something that helped me recently: I created a simple rule for myself - if anyone calls me about my student loans, I automatically assume it's a scam and hang up. Then I log into my accounts directly or call the official numbers myself. It might seem paranoid, but after reading all these experiences, I'd rather be overly cautious than risk giving scammers access to my accounts. For anyone worried about missing legitimate communications - all real loan servicers and FSA will send important information through your online account portal or official mail. They're not going to call you out of the blue with urgent deadlines that require immediate phone verification. Thanks again to everyone sharing their experiences - this kind of community awareness is so valuable for protecting each other from these scams!

Wow, this is absolutely terrifying but so important to share! I'm relatively new to managing student loans and honestly would have fallen for this - they sound incredibly convincing with all that personal information. The fact that they're specifically targeting the verification codes is especially scary because those codes are literally the keys to our accounts. I had no idea scammers were getting this sophisticated with student loan fraud. Thank you for taking the time to warn everyone and for following up with EdFinancial directly. It's really concerning that they're getting "numerous similar reports" but can't or won't say if there's been another breach. I'm definitely going to enable all the security features on my FSA account after reading this thread. Has anyone had success with those verbal password protections that EdFinancial offered? That sounds like a good extra layer of security for phone interactions. This community is amazing - I've learned more about protecting myself from loan scams in this one thread than anywhere else. Everyone stay safe out there!

This is such a crucial warning - thank you for sharing this with the community! As a newcomer here, I'm honestly shocked at how sophisticated these scams have become. The fact that they're using old addresses and loan details to build credibility is absolutely terrifying. I wanted to share something that might help others: I recently started using a simple verification method whenever I get any unexpected call about financial matters. I tell the caller that I need to verify their identity through official channels and that I'll call them back. If they're legitimate, they'll provide me with a reference number and be completely understanding. Scammers always get pushy and try to keep you on the line with urgency tactics. The 6-digit verification code angle is particularly scary because those codes are literally designed to prove YOU are accessing YOUR account - not to verify your identity to someone calling you. It's basically like handing over your house keys to a stranger who claims they're from your bank. Reading through all these comments, it's clear this is a widespread issue that's affecting a lot of people. I'm definitely going to enable all the security features on my FSA account and contact my loan servicer about adding extra verification steps. Better to be overly cautious than risk having my account compromised. Stay vigilant everyone - and thank you again for looking out for the community by sharing this warning!

This is absolutely terrifying but so important that you shared this warning! I'm new to this community and honestly had no idea these student loan scams had gotten so sophisticated. The fact that they're using old personal information like addresses and loan details to build credibility is really scary. What's particularly disturbing is how they're specifically targeting those 6-digit verification codes - I never realized those codes were essentially the keys to complete account access. It's brilliant that you questioned them instead of just going along with it, even when they had convincing personal details. I'm definitely going to follow the advice from others here about enabling all security features on my FSA account and contacting my loan servicer about additional protections. The verbal password requirement you mentioned sounds like a really good extra layer of security. One thing I'm taking away from this thread is to treat ANY unsolicited calls about student loans as potential scams and always verify through official channels myself. It might seem paranoid, but given how convincing these scammers are becoming, it seems like the safest approach. Thank you for taking the time to warn everyone and for following up with EdFinancial directly. This kind of community awareness is so valuable for protecting each other from these increasingly sophisticated scams!

This is such an important warning - thank you for sharing this! I'm new to managing student loans and honestly would have been completely vulnerable to this type of scam. The fact that they had your old address and were so persistent with the urgency tactics is really scary. I had no idea that those 6-digit verification codes were essentially giving someone complete access to your account. That's such a simple but crucial thing to understand - if someone calls YOU asking for a code that was just sent to YOUR phone, that's a massive red flag. I'm definitely going to follow everyone's advice here about enabling all security features and treating any unsolicited calls about my loans as potential scams. It might seem overly cautious, but after reading about how sophisticated these operations have become, I'd rather err on the side of safety. The tip about asking for a reference number and calling back through official channels is brilliant too. It's like a simple test that legitimate reps will pass and scammers will fail every time. Thanks again for taking the time to warn the community about this. It's really reassuring to see how people here look out for each other when it comes to these increasingly complex scams!

This is such a critical warning - thank you for sharing this with everyone! As someone new to this community, I'm honestly shocked at how sophisticated these scams have become. The fact that they had your old address and knew enough personal details to seem legitimate is absolutely terrifying. What really stands out to me is how they're specifically targeting those 6-digit verification codes. I had no idea that giving out one of those codes would essentially hand over complete access to your account - that's such important information for everyone to understand. I'm definitely going to follow the advice others have shared here about enabling all security features on my FSA account and treating any unsolicited calls about student loans as potential scams. The tip about asking for a reference number and calling back through official channels is brilliant too - it's like a simple test that separates legitimate reps from scammers. It's really concerning that EdFinancial is receiving "numerous similar reports" but won't confirm if there's been another data breach. We shouldn't have to become cybersecurity experts just to protect our student loan accounts, but unfortunately that seems to be the reality we're facing. Thanks again for taking the time to warn the community and for following up with official reports. This kind of awareness is so valuable for protecting each other from these increasingly sophisticated scams!

This is absolutely crucial information - thank you so much for sharing this warning! I'm new to this community and honestly had no idea these student loan scams had become so sophisticated. The fact that they had your old address and specific loan details is genuinely terrifying. What really strikes me is how they're specifically going after those 6-digit verification codes. I never realized that giving out one of those codes would essentially be handing over the keys to your entire account - that's such a critical thing for everyone to understand. Those codes are literally designed to prove YOU are accessing YOUR account, not to verify your identity to someone who called you. I'm definitely going to implement the strategies others have mentioned here - treating any unsolicited calls about my loans as potential scams and always verifying through official channels myself. The idea of asking for a reference number and calling back is brilliant - it's like a simple test that legitimate representatives will pass and scammers will fail every time. It's really concerning that EdFinancial is getting "numerous similar reports" but won't provide clear information about potential data breaches. The lack of transparency makes it even harder for us to protect ourselves effectively. I'm going to enable all the security features on my accounts and look into adding that verbal password protection you mentioned. It's frustrating that we have to become amateur cybersecurity experts just to manage our student loans safely, but clearly that's the reality we're facing. Thanks again for taking the time to warn everyone and for following up with official reports. This kind of community awareness is invaluable for helping all of us stay protected from these increasingly sophisticated scams!

This is such an important warning - thank you for sharing this! I'm new to this community and honestly would have been completely vulnerable to this type of scam. The fact that they had your old address and knew specific details about your loans is absolutely terrifying. What really opened my eyes is learning that those 6-digit verification codes are essentially the keys to your entire account. I had no idea that giving out one of those codes would grant someone complete access - that's such crucial information that everyone needs to understand. Those codes are specifically designed to prove YOU are trying to access YOUR account, not to verify your identity to some random caller. I'm definitely going to follow the advice shared here about treating any unsolicited calls about my loans as potential scams and always verifying through official channels myself. The tip about asking for a reference number and calling back is brilliant - it's like a simple test that legitimate reps will pass and scammers will fail every time. It's really concerning that EdFinancial is receiving "numerous similar reports" but won't provide clear information about potential data breaches. The lack of transparency makes it so much harder for us to protect ourselves effectively. I'm going to enable all the security features on my accounts right away and look into getting that verbal password protection you mentioned. It's frustrating that we have to become amateur cybersecurity experts just to safely manage our student loans, but clearly that's the reality we're facing with these increasingly sophisticated scams. Thanks again for taking the time to warn everyone and for following up with official reports. This kind of community awareness is invaluable for helping all of us stay one step ahead of these scammers!

This is such an eye-opening thread - thank you for sharing this warning! I'm new to this community and honestly had no idea these student loan scams had become so sophisticated. The fact that they're specifically targeting those 6-digit verification codes is absolutely terrifying because I never realized those codes essentially give someone complete access to your account. What really strikes me is how they're using just enough real personal information (like old addresses and loan details) to seem legitimate while pressuring people with fake urgency. The "final opportunity before deadline expires" tactic is so manipulative, especially when people are already stressed about their loans. I'm definitely going to follow everyone's advice here about treating ANY unsolicited calls about my student loans as potential scams and always verifying through official channels myself. The tip about asking for a reference number and calling back is brilliant - it's like a simple test that separates real representatives from scammers. It's really concerning that EdFinancial is getting "numerous similar reports" but won't provide transparency about potential data breaches. We shouldn't have to become cybersecurity experts just to manage our student loans safely, but clearly that's the reality we're facing. I'm going to enable all security features on my FSA account immediately and look into that verbal password protection you mentioned. Thanks again for taking the time to warn everyone - this kind of community awareness is invaluable for protecting each other from these increasingly sophisticated scams!