student loan relief

hey guys, i'm danielle from the sacramentobetter business bureau and this is torch talk. in this episode, we're talking about studentloan forgiveness scams. whether you're still in college, a recent college graduate or anot-so-recent college graduate that is still paying off student loan debt, scammers seeyou as an easy target. scammers will contact you either over the phone or in an email andtell you that they've helped dozens of people exactly like you resolve some or all of theirstudent loan debt. they ask you to pay lender fees up front and you never hear from themagain. here are three warning signs that will help you detect a student loan scam. payingupfront to get help: it's illegal for debt relief companies to charge a fee until afterthey've performed services for you. they claim

to have a special connection with federalstudent loan programs. don't let words like federal or national fool you into believingthat they're affiliated with the government. promises of immediate relief or debt cancellation:remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. student loan forgiveness israrely granted, but learning your options is always free. contact your loan servicerdirectly and ask if you qualify for a forbearance or a deferment. you may be able to stop makingpayments or reduce your monthly bill. but remember, you may still accrue interest duringthis time. for more information on how to resolve student debt or to report a scam,visit bbb.org. i'm danielle, thanks for watching. please subscribe for the latest torch talk.