PSA: Student Loan Payoff Scam Alert

mblatz · July 24, 2024, 1:20pm

I received a pretty sophisticated scam attempt today via email. It was the first time I had either seen or heard of this particular Phish, although a search yields information indicating this group has been doing the “Financial Hardship” scams for a few years now…this is apparently just a new way to target folks:

[FirstName LastName], Hello this is Joane Gaytan on behalf of the Student Loan Debt Department. We tried to contact you at your home [my actual address was included here] and did not hear back. Your Student Loans have been marked as possibly eligible for forgiveness under the new 2024 guidelines. Your case number is #64183, and your file will remain open in my system for only one more day. Please give your dedicated eligibility line a call on Wednesday (7/24/2024) at: (‎‎8‎6‎6)‑2‎‎68‑9‎0‎08. Our office hours are 11am-8pm (EST) Monday-Friday. Thank you so much and we hope to hear from you soon, Joane Gaytan

You opted in, Advertising Services, PO Box 249 #57223, Albuquerque, NM 87103 … We are a marketing company. To contact us we can be reached at the phone number provided above. You opted in. To remove yourself from our mailing list for marketing Please paste the following URL into your web browser: ‘unsubscribe-me-now. net’ and then enter your email. unsubscribe-me-now. net

It is notable in that: 1) it is leverages recent student loan forgiveness stupidity from feds.; 2) it is well written in clear/correct English and mimics well the language style of authentic types of valid (even if unwanted/unsolicited) marketing emails from real companies; 3) it included/used my real address as part of its social engineering attempts; 4) I was impressed by the fake disclosure “we are a marketing company”, i.e. a pretty good use of social engineering technique using a “statement against one’s interests” to appear more authentic and gain trust.

I wanted to investigate the unsubscribe URL from a safe browser/server, but it was not recognized/could not be reached, i.e. it appears to be a fake website included to make scam appear more authentic.

Anyway, if you are reading this and part of their target group, then hopefully you are forewarned.

jast · July 24, 2024, 1:45pm

Duuuuude…ya gotta remove the typoh - no “. net” TLD exists but ".net"s do. ( sarcasm imbued fully).

Weird. ICAAN sees it registered:

and one presumes

would be a domain-squatting service. Especially since GoDaddy proffers procurement of that domain for extra $$$.

but it actually does NOT pull up, nor does the squatter’s domain (TIL .horse iS a valid TLD and might not be fulfilling the stated purpose). I guess squatters are getting lazier & lazier these days? You’d think they’d at least load up a email harvester to work in concert with existing scammers.

mblatz · July 24, 2024, 1:56pm

Yep…i had noticed the extra space while examining the original email…probably a technique to get through spam filters is my guess. But when putting the corrected URL into browser address bar, it just indicated it was an unreachable site. The domain may have had the kibosh put on it by registrar or whoever was provisioning the site at request of some Gubmint entity…would be interesting to know what’s what with this, actually.

mdredmond · July 24, 2024, 4:06pm

The urgency in the message “only one more day” is also a strong hint that it’s fake.

mdredmond · July 24, 2024, 4:11pm

I just asked ChatGPT to write such a letter. My prompt:

“ Write a letter telling someone they are eligible for a 2024 student loan forgiveness program. The letter is from a marketing company contracted with the U.S. government. They have been trying to contact the person for several weeks at their home address. They must act quickly, as their file will only be open for one more day.”

ChatGPT’s response:

[Your Company’s Letterhead]

July 24, 2024

[Recipient’s Name]
[Recipient’s Address]
[City, State, ZIP Code]

Dear [Recipient’s Name],

Subject: Urgent: You Are Eligible for the 2024 Student Loan Forgiveness Program

We hope this letter finds you well. As a marketing company contracted with the U.S. government, we have been trying to reach you regarding an important and time-sensitive matter.

After a thorough review, we are pleased to inform you that you are eligible for the 2024 Student Loan Forgiveness Program. This program offers a unique opportunity to alleviate your student loan burden significantly. We understand the impact that student loans can have on your financial well-being, and this program is designed to provide much-needed relief.

Our records indicate that we have attempted to contact you at your home address for several weeks without success. Due to the high volume of applications, your file will only remain open for one more day. It is imperative that you act quickly to take advantage of this opportunity.

To finalize your eligibility and secure your place in the program, please contact us immediately at [Phone Number] or [Email Address]. Our dedicated team is ready to assist you with any questions you may have and guide you through the application process.

Failure to respond within the next 24 hours may result in the closure of your file, and you will no longer be eligible for this program. We strongly encourage you to seize this opportunity and take the necessary steps to benefit from the 2024 Student Loan Forgiveness Program.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. We look forward to assisting you in securing your financial future.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]
[Your Title]
[Company Name]
[Phone Number]
[Email Address]

[Company Address]
[City, State, ZIP Code]

[Optional Footer with Additional Information or Disclaimers]

ESmith · July 24, 2024, 5:54pm

… in a 419 letter style