Passport scam warning
The Better Business Bureau warned April 9 that fake passport-renewal websites are targeting people trying to renew online, often charging unnecessary fees or harvesting personal data. If you have spring or summer travel planned, the BBB says using only official State Department channels is the simplest way to avoid being scammed and sidelined. (wmbfnews.com)
A fake passport site can sit above the real one in search results, take your Social Security number and card payment, and still leave you without a renewed passport. The Better Business Bureau says some travelers paid about $88 and got back only a PDF form they could have filled out for free on the U.S. Department of State site. (bbb.org) This catches people because online passport renewal is real now. The U.S. Department of State says eligible U.S. citizens can renew online for routine service, and it says its own renew-online page is the only official place to do it. (travel.state.gov) The scam usually starts with a search. The Better Business Bureau says the site can look official, can appear as a sponsored result, and asks for details like your home address, birth date, and Social Security number before charging a “processing” or “application” fee. (bbb.org) What you are often buying is not a passport renewal at all. The Better Business Bureau says victims are emailed a completed PDF and then learn they still have to submit the real renewal and pay the actual government fee separately. (bbb.org) The easiest filter is the web address. The U.S. Department of State runs passport services through travel.state.gov, and the agency says unofficial online renewal sites should be avoided. (travel.state.gov) The official passport hub also routes people to every real path: renew online, renew by mail, replace a lost passport, or apply in person if they do not qualify for renewal. A private site cannot change those rules, and a child under 16 still cannot renew and must apply again in person. (travel.state.gov 1) (travel.state.gov 2) That matters in spring and summer because a scam can cost more than money. If a fake site delays you for even a few weeks, you can miss routine processing windows and end up paying extra to rush a real application later. (travel.state.gov) (bbb.org) If you already used one of these sites, the Better Business Bureau says to contact your bank or credit card company right away, watch for identity theft, and report the scam through Better Business Bureau Scam Tracker. If your passport was lost or stolen during the mess, the State Department says report that to the agency immediately. (bbb.org 1) (bbb.org 2) (usa.gov) The safest version of this whole process is boring on purpose: start at the U.S. Department of State passport page, follow the government steps, and do not pay any site that is selling “help” before you reach a.gov page. That extra minute checking the address is cheaper than handing your passport data to a stranger. (travel.state.gov 1) (travel.state.gov 2)
