Better Business Bureau warns against scam passport sites

ST. LOUIS, Mo., (KBSI)- Looking to go abroad this summer and need to get a passport or update your existing one? Be wary of websites that may look official but are anything but the real thing.

The Better Business Bureau received dozens of complaints and Scam Tracker reports from consumers throughout the United States about bogus passport websites.

In some cases, consumers lost money, usually around $90, when they used these sites to acquire a passport.

In nearly all of the cases, the consumers turned over valuable personal information which cannot be retrieved.

“You might be in a hurry to get a passport so that you can take a trip, but you should never take short cuts,” said Michelle L. Corey, BBB St. Louis president and CEO. “Scammers can make their sites look like official websites. Do your research before giving up your valuable personal information and hard-earned money.”

A Kansas City, Missouri woman reported to BBB in November 2023 that she visited what she believed to be a legitimate website to renew her passport.

“I admit I did not pay close enough attention to the website,” the woman told BBB. “This website took all my personal information.”

The woman said she didn’t realize she was not on a legitimate website until she received an error message when she tried to enter her banking information. She said she had to contact her bank to cancel the transaction.

BBB offers these tips on avoiding a passport scam:

• Research any business and its owners carefully before paying any money. Check the company’s BBB Business Profile at BBB.org or by calling 888-996-3887. You can also see whether a business is BBB Accredited, meaning they are committed to BBB’s Standards of Trust and follow ethical business practices.
• Confirm the URL before you enter personal and financial information. Be wary of sponsored ads or imposter websites before noticing. Double check the web address. If you are searching for an official federal government website, the address will end with .gov.
• Pay by credit card in case you need to challenge the purchase.
• If you believe that your personal information has been compromised, you can put a freeze on your credit. This can be done by contacting the three credit reporting agencies – Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion.
• If you feel like you have been wronged, file complaints with BBB and the U.S. State Department.