KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — The current payment pause for federal student loans is set to expire at the end of August, over two years since it started early in the COVID pandemic.
As many await a decision from President Biden on federal student loans, some borrowers are looking for any way to have their debt erased. Unfortunately, that has opened the doors to forgiveness scams.
Don Dare, an anchor and reporter with Nexstar’s WATE, recently received one of these unsolicited scam calls.
“Hello, this is a message from the Student Loan Forgiveness Center of Tennessee. As you may know, the forbearance period ends soon as payments may begin to resume,” said the voice on the phone.
Dare used the GI Bill to cover the costs of his degree at the University of Georgia, making the call from the Student Loan Forgiveness Center of Tennessee surprising.
“The reason we are calling is because your student loan is eligible for a forgiveness program. We need your authorization to complete the process. Please call our office located in Tennessee at 423… BEEP,” the call continued.
Dare took the recording to Tony Binkley at the Better Business Bureau of Greater East Tennessee. He called that local 423 number, supposedly located in Tennessee.
“One of the questions I did ask during our conversation is ‘Are you located in Tennessee?’ They said, ‘No, we’re in…
