Beware Rising Passport Renewal Scams Online

Jacksonville, FL — Consumers preparing to travel abroad are urged to be cautious when renewing their passports online due to a surge in fraudulent websites. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) has reported an increase in scams that trick individuals into paying for services that should be free.

Scammers create fake websites that mimic official government sites, leading users to enter personal information and to pay for passport renewal forms. These forms can actually be downloaded for free from the State Department’s official website.

“If the URL doesn’t end in .gov, you’re likely on a fake site,” a BBB spokesperson said. “People are often misled by professional-looking pages that appear legitimate.”

Common scams involve a site that looks official but carries a slight alteration in the URL, like “passportrenewal-state.com.” Victims end up providing sensitive data and paying fees that range from $60 to $120 for a service they could have obtained at no cost.

In one consumer report shared on the BBB Scam Tracker, a user stated, “I assumed it was the official site because it resembled it completely. I only realized later it was state.com, not state.gov.”

The BBB advises travelers to use the official government site, travel.state.gov, for accurate information on passport renewals, including forms and fees. The agency also recommends planning ahead, as standard processing times are currently 4 to 6 weeks, while expedited requests still take 2 to 3 weeks.

To verify the legitimacy of a website, users can check URLs carefully and utilize tools like Scamio, which helps identify potential scams by analyzing links or emails.

As international travel increases, it’s essential to be aware of these scams to avoid compromising personal information or financial security.