If you\u2019re planning a trip abroad this summer, now is the time to think about getting or renewing your passport.<\/p>\n
But there are scams out there.<\/p>\n
The Connecticut Better Business Bureau says it has already received more than 750 reports of passport scams this year.<\/p>\n
There are many phony websites that can scam you.<\/p>\n
It can take six weeks to get a passport, so many people rushing to get one may find a website that claims it can get it faster.<\/p>\n
These scams trick people into paying a fee to fill out a form that is a free download on the U.S. State Department\u2019s website.<\/p>\n
As a result, consumers may be misled into providing their personal and financial information on potentially unsecured websites.<\/p>\n
BBB Connecticut offers these tips for renewal:<\/p>\n
That way, you won\u2019t lose your personal information.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re talking Social Security numbers, information about your parents, name changes \u2014 all of that is now in the hands of scammers, and that\u2019s really scary because a lot of our information, thanks to data breaches, is already out there, and all they need is a couple more pieces of that puzzle to fit it all together and steal our identities,\u201d said Kristen Johnson with BBB Connecticut.<\/p>\n
While there is a charge to get a passport, the forms themselves are free. Appointments with the State Department\u2019s passport centers are also free. You can also apply for a passport at the post office.<\/p>\n