Not news. A story, told the way I'd tell a friend.
A voicemail landed on my phone saying my student loan account was "forced into default" and "collection efforts have begun." I have never had a student loan. So I played the whole message, then took it apart line by line: a gentle order to listen, a real date, "as required by law," a real plan name, three threats in a row, and a button to press right now.
The plan it names, RAP, the Repayment Assistance Plan, is real, and it opened July 1. That is the trick: borrow something true and the lie rides in on it.
What the Federal Trade Commission says: never pay an upfront fee for student loan help, you don't have to pay for help managing your student loans, and don't rely on government seals or logos. On a robocall, hang up. Don't press one, and don't press any other number to get off the list. If you want to check your own loans, log in yourself at StudentAid.gov. And you can report a call like this at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. I did.
Sources:
FTC, Spotting student loan scams (May 21, 2025): https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2025/05/spotting-student-loan-scams
FTC, What to do if you get a robocall: https://consumer.ftc.gov/media/video-0028-what-do-if-you-get-robocall
The full story, free every weekday: https://www.yourmoneyactually.com/?utm_source=yma_podcast
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