ITT Technical Institute
7300 Boston Blvd.
Springfield Virginia
United States of America
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ITT Technical Institute ITT Technical Educational Services Creating Fake Loans, Loan Scam, Fraud, and Ruining Lives Springfield, Virginia
*General Comment: Also Ripped Off
1Author
4Consumer
0Employee/Owner
I went to ITT Tech for about 3 quarters. Deciding to go to ITT was the worst decision I have ever made.
I decided to transfer to another school because of the stuff I started hearing about ITT Tech. I even had a
teacher tell me about all the inside happenings that goe on there and how ITT Tech isn’t even accredited and she told me to get away. The teacher ended up leaving there herself and actually started teaching at the school I am attending now. The day I enrolled, financial aid appeared to be fine and normal. I got my loan from the Department of Education and Sallie Mae after they had already made me jump through hoops to try to get approved at their banks, which was odd in the first place that they didn’t go for Dept. of Education in the first place. When I decided to transfer, I called Sallie
Mae, the Dept. of Education, and all the private banks ITT Tech uses (in case they were trying to pull something, I needed to cover all my tracks since I heard about what they do). Everyone I called said I did not have an account with them. I only had accounts with Sallie Mae and the Dept. of Education and they said the loan would carry over to the school with
no problems.
Six months later, I started getting bills from a place called ACS to pay a $21,000 student loan.
I looked this place up and found all over Google how they are part of a scam. They were relentless. Calling me non-stop and sending me letters and bills in the mail. So I called them numerous times, faxed them numerous times, and emailed them numerous times to prove to me that I owe this money and I got a couple automated responses and
nothing more. I even went up to ITT Tech to request a copy of my file to see everything that I had signed. Their body language indicated deception as they told me they’d make copies and mail it to me. I never got it. I called and told them and they said they would mail it that day. Still nothing and this was a year ago. After I kept after ACS to show me proof (i.e. a signed promissory note) I stopped getting harassed for a good 3 to 6 months. I thought everything was good and that they couldn’t come up with the proof and gave up.
At my new school, I told the financial aid director my problem and he said that he’s never even heard of ACS and he pulled up my entire loan history, even from ITT tech, and all we saw on there was Sallie Mae and the Department of Education that covered all of my quarters.
About a month ago, a new company started relentlessly harassing me. They are called Student CU
Connect. Of course, I Googled them and found no paper trail about them (not even a website). I just saw a PDF document talking about how they and ITT Tech are now partners and how as a team they “help” students get “loans”. They have sent me a couple of threatening letters and have called me relentlessly for $21,000. I spoke with a seemingly “nice” guy from there named George Howser and he listened to my entire story and he said that
he’d do everything he could to find the signed promissory note. I never heard back from him even though he
told me it would only be a few days. A couple weeks later, a woman named Erika Garcia called me and I told her the
same thing. She told me she did have a “signed” promissory note. She emailed it to me and it was from Ely Lilly (one of ITT Tech’s private lenders). Ely Lilly was one of the companies that told me I did not have any loans with them, and more than one person from there told me. Before I left ITT tech, I tried to make sure something like this would not happen, that’s why I asked more than one person. Well, the document did not have my signature. It said “electronic
signature on file”. That’s not really proof because it was not I who filled out the document and they have yet to
show me said “electronic signature”. I have since blocked their number so I haven’t gotten any more calls.
The thing is, how could I possibly owe $21,000 in the first place? We did the math and it doesn’t
add up. I was not there long enough and did not take enough classes to have $21,000 in loans.
I am trying desperately to find free legal aid (because I am low income and cannot afford a layer) or find a class action lawsuit to join. I’ve done research and I have seen that this is happening to so many people and has happened to so many people already. I even know a few people myself who are going through this. Yet, ITT Tech is still in existence and ruining people’s lives even though this scam has been going on for years. Something needs to get done about this. My biggest fear is that they get away with this and I have to end up paying these frauds $21,000 on top of my legitimate loans.
I am mentally and emotionally suffering because of this. I have developed an anxiety disorder because of this and am always on edge. Every time my phone rings or I get mail, I start to panic and my heart races because I am afraid it will be one of ITT Tech’s minions harassing me. Its so bad that I have been shaking and holding back tears the entire time I was writing this.
I just want to put myself out there and reach out to anyone or any lawyer who could possibly help or join a class action lawsuit with me or even tell me about one to join so I can put an end to this and move on with my life.
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REBUTTALS & REPLIES:
1Author
4Consumer
0Employee/Owner
Updates & Rebuttals
#1 Consumer Suggestion
AUTHOR: Larry - Phoenix (U.S.A.)
SUBMITTED: Thursday, July 28, 2011
POSTED: Thursday, July 28, 2011
Even within legitimate schools, such as community colleges, student loan personnel have a hard time remaining honest when thousands of dollars are flowing through their hands at any moment. I know of at least two local community college officials who were fired due to embezzlement. I doubt that student loan officers at private schools are any more trustworthy.
In this case, someone employed in the student loan office at the ITT school you attended has taken information from your file and partnered with someone posing as a collection agent to scam you out of $21,000. More than likely, the "collection agent" solicited the ITT employee. I don't mean to insult you but trade schools like ITT have a reputation for recruiting from the bottom tier and such students are not likely to dispute a debt.
I would suggest that you send a letter by certified mail to ITT Tech requesting the documents that their personnel have withheld from you. Do the same with ACS and Student CU Connect.
Once you have ascertained that there is no student loan with ACS and/or Student CU Connect, ignore their calls and emails. File a criminal complaint with your local police department and with your state's attorney general. If your state has an agency regulating post-secondary schools, file a complaint with them. File a complaint with the US Department of Education and your congressman. (Federal law prohibits the school from disclosing your information without your permission.)
#2 Consumer Comment
AUTHOR: Ecooper - (USA)
SUBMITTED: Monday, August 01, 2011
POSTED: Monday, August 01, 2011
We are researching this industry and we are hoping you might contact us.
e-mail: wgadal (at) g m a i l . c o m
Thank you
#3 Consumer Comment
AUTHOR: mr rik - miami (USA)
SUBMITTED: Monday, August 01, 2011
POSTED: Monday, August 01, 2011
Don't get sued.
#4 Consumer Comment
AUTHOR: Diego09 - (United States of America)
SUBMITTED: Sunday, January 08, 2012
POSTED: Sunday, January 08, 2012
I have had the same problem with ITT, then ACS and then Student CU Connect harassing me. Today I checked my credit report and the supposedly debt I owe to them does not appear! I don't know if that can happen but I am very intrigued about it since the rest of the loans I made with ITT through Sallie Mae do appear. I am also interested in the lawsuit but like you I do not have the funds for a lawyer. Is there any way that I can get in contact with you?