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An offer of reduced monthly payments — or complete forgiveness — on your student loan may make you want to sign up…and exhale. Unfortunately, though, some of those programs wind up costing you hundreds or thousands of dollars for nothing in return. What’s more, you could’ve gotten real help for free.

Impetus Enterprise, Inc. and related defendants made such promises, according to a recent complaint filed by the FTC. The FTC says the defendants, doing business as Aidnest, Aiding Student Relief, and other names, deceived student loan borrowers by offering to get them reduced payments or even forgiveness on their loans. According to the complaint, the companies widely marketed things like complete loan forgiveness in under 10 years, which most borrowers are actually not eligible to get.

The FTC says people often paid around $500 to get student loan debt “relief,” based on what turned out to be empty promises. In addition, the FTC says that the companies charged those fees up front, which is illegal to do before actually helping people with debt relief. The FTC asked the court to put a halt to these activities and is trying to get money back to people.

You can get free assistance from the US Department of Education to do things like:

Also, be sure to learn more about student loans, including relief programs and how to spot scams.

 

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6 Comments

Mrs. Findley (not verified)
November 20, 2018
We have received robo calls indicating that the IRS fraud division is after us. The call comes from: 323-902-6651
felisareciojdl… (not verified)
November 20, 2018
Thank you for this information. I'llpass it to my grandchild.
DenMarth (not verified)
November 20, 2018
Add Lexington Law Firm promise to remove repair credit report from all three credit bureaus
barbaralee (not verified)
November 21, 2018
Are there relief programs for credit card debts for the elderly?
mando rodrigue… (not verified)
November 26, 2018
be alert it may be scam: delta title services llc; sequotah business properties llc. they want and took pre expenses . milk me out of 12K and currently fighting them to return money
sharonDon't us… (not verified)
November 28, 2018
freedom debt relief is it a scam,ccarlino.

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