FTC refund program · Open

FTC Arete Financial Refunds

The FTC is sending a second round of 18,509 checks totaling over $551,000 to people who paid Arete Financial Group more than $750 for student loan debt relief and accepted their first payment, which went out in June 2023 and returned more than $2.6 million. The FTC's lawsuit said the defendants posed as affiliates of the Department of Education and charged illegal upfront and monthly fees. Cash the check within 90 days, and call the refund administrator on 1-855-678-0558 with questions, including about the eligible date range, which the page does not state. The FTC will not ask you to pay money to receive a refund.

There is no claim form for this one. The administrator pays consumers it has already identified, so the useful step is to make sure they can reach you — not to file anything. Anyone offering to file it for you, for a fee, is selling you nothing.