When you need to apply for or renew a passport, please be cautious and avoid scam websites. Consumer education experts from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) warned on the 3rd that the top search results online may be scam websites disguised as official sites, claiming to help you update or obtain a passport. Some of these websites are private companies that charge for services that should be free on the U.S. Department of State website, while others are scammers attempting to deceive you into giving them your money and personal information.
The official government website Travel.State.Gov provides legitimate passport services. If you are busy or need assistance, you can choose to pay additional fees to companies registered with the U.S. Department of State to have them submit the application and receive the passport on your behalf. However, please note that this does not expedite the process of obtaining your passport, and you can apply on your own without paying these extra fees.
Beware particularly of those scam websites that have similar names, logos, and seals to official sites. These websites may promise to help you get a passport for just $60 to a few hundred dollars (beyond the normal passport fee). However, once you make a payment, you may not only lose money but also provide personal information to scammers, potentially being sold to identity thieves.
To avoid falling victim to passport scams, please keep the following points in mind:
-The U.S. Department of State is the only official government agency handling passport services. Avoid clicking on popular online search results that may be scam sites and visit Travel.State.Gov directly.
-While there are fees for obtaining a passport, the renewal or application forms themselves are free. Anyone asking you to pay for these forms is a scammer.
-If you urgently need a passport, you can make a free appointment. Passport agency and center of the Department of State do not charge for appointments, and paying someone to arrange an appointment for you will not speed up the passport acquisition process.
-If you come across fraudulent passport applications, websites, or if you have already made payments to individuals confirmed as scammers, contact the Department of State at [email protected] and report to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) via ReportFraud.ftc.gov. If your personal information is misused, seek assistance at IdentityTheft.gov.