Consumer complaint received 2025-08-06 00:00:00
Product: Student loan — Federal student loan servicing
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer — Received bad information about your loan
Company: College Guidance Resources  LLC
State: CA

Complaint narrative:
On or about XX/XX/XXXX, I received an unsolicited call from a woman named XXXX who works for College Guidance Resources ( CGR ). She told me that XXXX XXXX was going to take away my federal student loan forgiveness, but that XXXX could assist me in getting my loans forgiven. According to XXXX, she was going to help me achieve student loan forgiveness. 

I told XXXX that my loans were serviced by XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ) and that it showed a {$0.00} balance. However, XXXX told me that I needed to pay CGR {$200.00} per month for 10 months ( totaling {$2000.00} ) or else my loans would go into default immediately and then I could no longer be helped and XXXX XXXX would garnish my Social Security Benefits. 

I felt very anxious and confused as to why I needed to pay money when my loans were forgiven/cancelled over 3 years ago. However, due to XXXX pressure and my fear that I would lose my Social Security Benefits, I paid her {$200.00} that day over the phone. I also digitally signed an agreement with XXXX ( CGR Agreement ), though I was confused as to why I needed to pay them and what services they were going to provide me. 

I was also told I had to give XXXX access to my Federal Student Aid ( FSA ) account, which I did. When XXXX logged into my FSA account, she told me my balance was {$0.00} because I paid XXXX {$200.00} and that my balance will remain at {$0.00} as I pay CGR the agreed upon amount per the agreement ( {$2000.00} total ). 

XXXX had my login credentials and was able to access my XXXX account. 

XXXX told me that I would be charged {$200.00} each month via auto-debit from my bank account, from XXXX through XX/XX/XXXX. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX took {$200.00} from my bank account. 

Deeply concerned I was being scammed, on XX/XX/XXXX, I contacted the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ( Legal Aid ) for assistance. On XX/XX/XXXX, I met with a XXXX XXXX attorney. Together, we logged into my XXXX account to review my student loan information. The XXXX XXXX attorney confirmed that my federal student loan balance was {$0.00} and that I obtained total student loan forgiveness in the amount of {$62000.00} on XX/XX/XXXX. 

The XXXX XXXX attorney explained to me that my Social Security Benefits could not legally be garnished to repay my federal student loans since I had no outstanding federal student loans. Further, there is no service I should be paying for regarding my federal student loans since I had no outstanding federal student loans. 

Upon review of the XXXX XXXX, it is clear that XXXX is taking {$2000.00} from me without providing me with any benefit or services whatsoever. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, the Legal Aid attorney and I called XXXX and spoke with XXXX, the agent that I was working with. We asked her questions about XXXX and what type of services she was providing me. XXXX refused to answer any questions, especially from the XXXX XXXX attorney, and then rushed us off the phone. 

At that point, it was abundantly clear that this was, in fact, a scam. I then rushed over to XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX to close my bank account before the next auto-debit was scheduled to occur on XX/XX/XXXX. 

I successfully closed my bank account on XX/XX/XXXX, preventing XXXX from debiting my account for the XX/XX/XXXX payment. 

According to the XXXX Agreement, XXXX provides document preparation services to assist consumers applying for XXXX XXXX XXXX Assistance XXXX using the Department of Education forms. However, XXXX never prepared any documents on my behalf and did not provide ( and could not provide ) me with any services related to my federal student loans because I have no outstanding federal student loans. 

This entire ordeal has caused me to suffer emotionally, including stress and anxiety. It also caused me to suffer monetarily {$400.00} which represents the fees they took from me in XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX even though they did not provide me with any services. 

I was tricked into believing that my federal student loans could enter into default and that the federal government could garnish my Social Security XXXX. XXXX knew I had no outstanding federal student loans before they pressured me into signing the agreement and paying them.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation