PASSPORT SCAM WARNING： Federal Trade Commission Sues Major Passport Service Websites

Imagine paying a website to renew your passport, then finding out you never actually applied. You just paid for a form the government provides for free. That's part of what the FTC is alleging in a new lawsuit against several passport websites. And the FTC says the alleged scheme has cost consumers at least $40 million. But here's something important. There are legitimate passport expediting companies. And there are good reasons to use them. So how do you tell the difference? Hi, I'm Sheldon with U.S. Passport Service Guide, and for over 20 years, we have been the leading independent source of advice on passports and passport expediting. On October 22nd, the FTC filed a lawsuit against GovAssist LLC, Entry LLC, and Scott Zuckerman. According to the complaint, websites, including GovAssist.com, Entry.com, and IBS.us, used advertising and website designs that made consumers think they were dealing with the federal government directly. The FTC also alleges that the companies made misleading promises about passport processing times, and they used fake customer reviews. Some customers reportedly paid for what they thought was a passport application, only to receive paperwork they still had to submit themselves. Now, these are allegations. The case is still pending, but it highlights a problem that's been around for quite a while. People don't always understand what they're buying when they pay a private company for passport help. Here's what you need to know. The State Department provides passport application forms for free. And if you're eligible to renew online, you can do that directly through the government's official website. You don't need to pay a private company for either of those things. Government passport fees still apply, but the forms and government appointment bookings are free. Now that's very different from hiring a registered passport courier. These companies can help prepare your application, submit eligible applications at regional passport agencies, and arrange to get your completed passport back to you. That can be extremely helpful when you have urgent international travel and you can't get to a regional passport agency or center on your own. Now know that a courier can't make the State Department process your passport any faster than if you went to the agency yourself. What you're actually paying for is the company's assistance and the time and travel it can potentially save you. And sometimes that can actually save you money. Here's a good example. Making an appointment at a regional passport agency is free, sure, but if the nearest agency is five hours away from you, then what? You could be looking at gas, parking, meals, maybe a hotel, possibly taking time off from work. Depending on your situation, hiring a passport courier could actually cost less than making that trip yourself. We've put together a calculator on USPassportServiceGuide.com to help people compare those costs. It's linked in the description. Of course, you still need to know who you're hiring and that's why we spent so much time researching passport expediting companies for our directory. So we start with the State Department's registered courier list, then we look into the companies themselves. We check their advertised office locations, we contact our customer service departments, we try to verify the services they claim to offer. When we find problems, like an office location we can't verify or a disconnected phone number, we document those issues and we do it for you. Our directory includes those findings, so you can do some research before you hand over your money and your personal information. I'll link that directory below as well. Before paying any company, make sure you understand exactly what they're doing for you, what the full cost will be, and what they can realistically deliver. Listen, there's nothing wrong with paying a legitimate company for a service that makes your life easier. The problem is paying for something you don't actually need, or being misled about what you're actually getting. So whether you need a passport tomorrow, or you're just planning ahead, take a few minutes to research your options. And if you're wondering what getting a US passport actually costs these days, take a look at this video right here. I think you'll be surprised by what some of the additional costs actually turn out to be. Thanks for watching, and safe travels.