Travel Smart: Don't Give Passport Scams a Ticket

Planning an international vacation soon? From booking your tickets to making sure all your travel essentials fit in your checked bag, prepping for a trip abroad can be a whirlwind. One of the most important things on your to-do list: make sure your passport is valid for six months beyond your departure date. 

If you need to renew your passport before taking to the skies, be careful where you start the process— scammers might be waiting in the wings.

Verify the website before you click submit

Scammers know you’re in a hurry to renew your passport and anxious to get it back in time for your vacation, and they’re ready to take advantage. Most often, they’ll use fake passport renewal websites designed to look like official government pages. Many of these sites appear near the top of search results and use patriotic imagery, official-looking seals, and convincing language to trick visitors into believing they are legitimate. 

For more information on how to identify and avoid fake websites, check out our AI Fraud Webinar.

Think before you click. If a website offers expedited services at a high cost, they’re only planning to expedite your funds out of your wallet.

Official forms don’t hide behind paywalls

In some cases, scammers are hoping you’ll pay outrageous fees for a free, downloadable form available through official government channels. In more serious cases, they hope you’ll send personal information such as SSNs, passport details, dates of birth, addresses, and payment card information that they can use later. 

For more information on how to combat identity (ID) theft and other forms of identity fraud, check out our AI Fraud Webinar.

Passport forms are free. Anyone hiding forms behind a paywall doesn’t have your best interest in mind. 

Always check for “.gov” in the URL

If you receive a letter or email claiming there is a problem with your passport application, stop and think before you take action. Review why— and how —the government may contact you, and request additional information if you’re still unsure.

To beat scammers at their own game, always start the renewal process through the official U.S. Department of State website. Actual government websites end in .gov most of the time. If the site you're on doesn’t end in that, it may not be legitimate.

Before entering personal information, verify the website address carefully. Avoid clicking links in unsolicited emails or text messages, and never pay extra fees to companies promising guaranteed faster processing.

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A little planning and caution today can help ensure your holiday memories are filled with sightseeing and adventure instead of fraud reports, empty bank accounts, and identity theft headaches.

Want to learn more anti-fraud tips and tricks? Check out our Fraud Protection articles and webinars, or contact our team for more information!