BALTIMORE — The surge in passport demand is causing significant delays for American travelers. Passport processing times are now taking around 10 to 13 weeks, and that doesn't include the roughly 4 weeks it could take to receive it in the mail. Meanwhile, global entry applications could take 4 to 6 months to process.
At the end of March, Secretary of State Antony Blinken reported that demand for passports was "unprecedented," with the department receiving 500,000 applications per week, which is 30-40 percent higher than last year. However, as more people apply for passports and trusted traveler programs, some websites are trying to profit off these delays, and they may be after your personal information.
Karen Hensley mistakenly clicked on a third-party website while trying to renew her passport.
“I went to Google search and I typed in passport renewal,” said Hensley.
At first, Hensley clicked on the State Department’s website for additional information.
“I searched around and read a few things here, read a few things there, and then I needed to get back to the actual renewal form because I read enough and I went back to the Google search site and I accidentally clicked on one of the other sites,” said Hensley.
She filled out the form on Pass-Travel-USA.com, went to download it to mail it in, but saw there was a fee.
“The wake up that I wandered off the State Department's site was that they tried to talk me into buying high-end mail services to mail the passport,” Hensley said.
The site wanted a $60 fee for the filled out form, a service that’s available for free on the State Department's website, and it did not include the official processing fee.
“You'll have to pay the additional fund that you pay to the U.S. government for these documents, so you're getting charged twice. One is for a document you don't need because this is all stuff you can do yourself absolutely free,” said Angie Barnett, President and CEO of the Better Business Bureau of Greater Maryland.
Barnett warned that more people are falling for these sites because more people are applying for passports or trusted traveler programs like Global Entry and TSA Pre-Check.
“You want to look for websites that end in .gov that's letting you know it's a legitimate website,” Barnett advised.
According to several BBB ScamTracker reports, customers of Pass-Travel-USA.com thought they were on a government website, but at the very bottom, and in small print, the website states it's a third-party service not affiliated with the U.S. government.
“They started asking for more than what you normally need for a passport renewal. I didn't really know that at the time, but later, when I got the correct site after all this, I saw that they didn't need my parent's birth dates and places of birth or my husband's social security number,” said Hensley.
“You've provided your personal identifying information to somebody who may or may not submit that form,” added Barnett.
There's no phone number listed on the website, no office address, and no information on who runs the business.
WMAR-2 News Mallory Sofastaii filled out the contact form requesting additional information on the company and their services, but she hasn’t yet heard back.
“My advice is, of course, make sure you're on that government site again and again. And I did that, but I learned you’ve got to check every step of the way,” Hensley warned.
Barnett recommends consumers use a credit card when buying anything online so that you can dispute the charge if you suspect the website is fraudulent.
Since submitting their information, Hensley and her husband have put credit freezes on their accounts.
The best way to expedite your passport is through the State Department. Expedited processing is around 7 to 9 weeks plus $60, or travelers can make an appointment at a passport agency or center. Additionally, travelers can reach out to their members of Congress for additional assistance.
If you’re concerned your information could be used to steal your identity, click here.
Click here for additional information on Trusted Traveler Programs and how to apply for them.
And here are some additional tips on how you may be able to rush processing on your passport.
