ORLANDO, Fla. \u2013 Searching for passport renewal online could land you on a site that charges you for a government form that costs nothing. <\/p>\n
A News 6 investigation found one Orlando woman paid $125 to a third-party website, only to receive the same PDF available for free on the official U.S. government site.<\/p>\n
Alex needed to renew her passport before a Caribbean trip. She typed \u201cpassport renewal\u201d into a search engine and clicked the first link that appeared, a sponsored result for a site called uspassportandvisa.org, believing she was on an official government page.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was wanting to take a trip this month to the Caribbean for the summer,\u201d Alex said.<\/p>\n
Alex filled out her application directly on the uspassportandvisa.org website. When she finished, the site emailed her a PDF of the completed form \u2014 the same form she could have downloaded and filled out herself for free at the official U.S. government site. She still had to submit the application to the State Department on her own. She only realized her mistake when she checked her credit card statement.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I went on my bank statement, this is what appeared \u2014 Easy Form Filler,\u201d Alex said. \u201cThat\u2019s not even a government official site.\u201d<\/p>\n
Alex contacted the site and received a refund.<\/p>\n
In response to her complaints, uspassportandvisa.org states its role is to ensure applications are accurate and ready for submission to the U.S. Department of State. However, the site does not submit the application to the State Department on the user\u2019s behalf.<\/p>\n
The site also posts a disclaimer at the top of its webpage stating it is a privately owned organization not associated with any government agency.<\/p>\n
But Better Business Bureau CEO Holly Salmons says most people miss it, especially when using a phone.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey believed that they were on a government site,\u201d Salmons said. \u201cThey believed they were completing the standard traditional process. And it wasn\u2019t until they had submitted their information and given the money that they realized really all they were getting back in return was a completed form, that they then had to still process and submit themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n
Salmons says sponsored search results are a key part of the problem. When a result says \u201csponsored\u201d at the top of a search page, that is paid ad placement, not an endorsement by the search engine.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt can be really tempting to just go to a search engine, plug it in and click and go,\u201d Salmons said. \u201cBut consumers should note that those sponsored results at the top of the page \u2014 that is essentially a paid ad.\u201d<\/p>\n
Domain records show uspassportandvisa.org launched in January of last year. Since then, the Better Business Bureau has logged more than 700 complaints against the site.<\/p>\n
Salmons warns the risks go beyond losing money.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot only are these people not getting what they expect, they\u2019re giving money, they\u2019re giving very personal information to who knows who,\u201d she said. \u201cConsumers reported feeling very afraid or unassured about what\u2019s going to happen now that my information is out there.\u201d<\/p>\n
She also notes that some consumers\u2019 credit cards flagged the transaction as fraudulent before the consumer even realized what happened, providing a layer of protection that debit cards and payment apps do not offer.<\/p>\n
\u201cEven though the money may not be gone, even though the transaction may not have gone through, there is currency assigned to the value of our personal information,\u201d Salmons said. \u201cWhere that information is going to go, how it\u2019s going to be traded or sold, is unclear.\u201d<\/p>\n
The BBB is also tracking a broader trend: more copycat sites are appearing.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf it works, there are going to be copycats,\u201d Salmons said. \u201cWe want consumers to be aware, especially when doing a search online, to really inspect the search results.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ryan Dooley, Acting Managing Director for Passport Affairs at the U.S. Department of State, says there is one official website for passport services: travel.state.gov.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is the only official website for passport-related information,\u201d Dooley said. \u201cAll the forms are on that site, they can be downloaded, filled out, and brought into one of our passport application acceptance facilities.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dooley says the State Department anticipates processing more than 23 million passport applications this year. For first-time applicants, the process starts at a local passport acceptance facility, such as a post office or clerk of court, where applicants bring their DS-11 application, passport photo, proof of citizenship, and valid ID. Routine processing takes four to six weeks; expedited processing takes two to three weeks.<\/p>\n
Adults renewing a passport can use the State Department\u2019s online renewal system at travel.state.gov, which allows applicants to take their own photo using a laptop or smartphone.<\/p>\n
Dooley says third-party sites charging fees for forms is a known issue.<\/p>\n
\u201cThose companies charge a fee for the same service that we can provide you without that additional fee,\u201d he said. \u201cWe want to make sure that all Americans reach our services directly.\u201d<\/p>\n
For travelers in Central Florida with urgent travel needs \u2014 typically defined as travel within a matter of days \u2014 the current option is to make an appointment at the Miami Passport Agency.<\/p>\n