SCSO warns of scam involving student aid forgiveness

The Sheridan County Sheriff and Undersheriff made an appearance on Sheridan Media’s Public Pulse program, in part, to warn those seeking student loan forgiveness of an ongoing scam. 

Whether it be through emails, postal mail, texts or phone calls, Undersheriff Devearux Johnson told listeners that scammers are contacting residents posing as either the US Department of Education or a third party company offering assistance to navigate through the loan forgiveness process. 

According to the Undersheriff, the scammers are casting a wide net, with many who have been contacted never intending to participate in student loan forgiveness. In those cases, most people simply discontinue contact. But in other cases, the scammers gain trust and seek SSN and bank account information. 

To reiterate, the US Department of Education will not contact citizens directly. If residents suspect a scammer in any situation, disconnect the call or discontinue contact immediately. 

To learn more about these and other scams involving Federal Student Aid, click here.