Hello All,
I wanted to share my experience regarding a student loan scam that I’ve encountered, as I’ve noticed many inquiries about this issue. It begins with a legitimate-looking letter in the mail. If you ignore it, you’ll receive persistent calls from various Las Vegas-based numbers, one of which displays a caller ID as “STUDENT DEPT.” When you finally answer, they use social engineering techniques, having your social security number to make it seem like they obtained it from legitimate loan servicers. They create a sense of urgency, insisting you start the process immediately by paying a thousand-dollar fee for their services.
Who are they?
A simple WHOIS lookup reveals that their domain is registered through GoDaddy, with no registrant name listed. However, the organization “Domains By Proxy LLC” is listed as their Registrant Organization and Admin. This company, founded by the creator of GoDaddy, provides privacy services to keep the actual domain owner’s information secret.
From Wikipedia: “Subscribers list Domains by Proxy as their administrative and technical contacts in the Internet’s WHOIS database, thereby delegating responsibility for managing unsolicited contacts from third parties and keeping the domain owners’ personal information secret.”
This means finding the actual site owner is nearly impossible. The only other clue is their address, which is listed as a virtual office space in Las Vegas, almost certainly not where they are truly operating.
What to do if you fall for the scam:
If you get scammed, dispute the charges with your bank, claiming the company used deceptive tactics. This approach allowed me to recover any money transferred, proving that their agreement terms hold little to no weight.
My loans’ status remains uncertain after this ordeal. They sent me forms for consolidation and income-driven repayment (IDR), which I completed and mailed to an approved student loan servicer. Although the mailing addresses were legitimate, I have not received any correspondence from the new servicer after several months.
This is a Public Service Announcement (PSA) for everyone, especially those unfamiliar with the process. My theory is that “Superior Servicing LLC” is a fraudulent entity set up to exploit student loan repayments for profit until they are inevitably shut down.
Stay vigilant and share this information to protect others from falling into the same trap.