I needed to get my passport renewed soon. So I looked online to see the closest posts offices I could go to do it. I have renewed my passport multiple times.
On what looked like an official site, it said something like
The Entry . gov
so I went onto their site, filled out everything, took my picture on my laptop. that was august 6.
I waited awhile and after about 4 weeks I asked about the status of my renewal.
they sent me some answer that said it is in the process of being reviewed before it is sent to the State Dept.
I thought that was strange it was taking so long.
I wrote multiple times getting vague answers about the wait time.
My attorney friend looked up the company on the better business bureau and it said it has been flagged by misrepresenting itself.
I was faked out by the .gov address.
They are a 3rd party company.
Supposedly you will eventually get your passport, but as of 6-7 weeks after giving them my information, having my credit card charged, I have no idea when it will ever be forwarded to the State Dept.
Anyone that has dealt with this company before I would appreciate any helpful hints to speed up the process and to ease my nerves about this ordeal, and also to warn anyone , do not use this service if you see it online.
I am not sure what to do if I don't my renewed passport within a month.
Posted by
USA
914 posts
I'm so sorry this happened to you. It happened to a colleague of mine a few years ago.
Long story short, my friend contacted our local Congressional Representative office. They can intervene on your behalf with the State Department. So look for your local district representative. It doesn't matter their party affiliation, they are in the office to help you regardless if you voted for them or not.
I believe the State Department also has a page where you can report being a victim of a scam.
This is the official website for State Department: https://travel.state.gov/en/passports.html
Posted by
Virginia, USA
6869 posts
You never said the name of the “scam” company.
If it was truly a “.gov” address then it is a government entity. All “.gov” domains are authorized by CISA (https://get.gov/domains/before/).
The State Department indicates that processing time is 4 to 6 weeks. You can check the status of processing on the State Dept website by selecting “Check your application status” on this page:
https://travel.state.gov/en/passports/apply/help/processing-time.html#current-processing-times
Posted by
Atlanta, Georgia
394 posts
I know it's too late for you but I'd urge everyone else to NOT use any of the "expeditors" who claim to get your application to the head of the line. Apply only through the U.S. State Department (or your country's equivalent.) They do have an expedited option available for an extra fee on that platform, but a third party can't get it for you any quicker.
Posted by
🌲🌲 Minnesota🌲🌲
13259 posts
I just saw it on Google under the "sponsored" sites—it takes you to Entry(dot)com.
Posted by
SE Washington, USA
842 posts
My husband's passport is in the mailbox today after an online submission 9/7 for non-expedited delivery.
Posted by
West Michigan
911 posts
Regarding the URL, it's very easy to insert text in an email or website that says xxx.gov, but make the actual link be xxx.scam.com. You always need to hover over the link and look on the screen for what your browser says the actual link is.
Edit: Here's an example:
If you hover your cursor over the above link, Firefox will show you the actual URL at the very lower left of your screen. I don't know how all the other browsers do this, but I'm sure any browser would give you a way to see what a link is really sending you to.
If you actually cllicked my link above, it would take you to this travel forum. It would not take you to passports.gov (I made that one up). On a public forum or message board, you really need to verify what a link might really be sending you to.
Posted by
New York, NY
4173 posts
”Avoid unofficial online renewal sites
The only official, authorized place to renew your U.S. passport online is opr.travel.state.gov . Other websites or companies claiming you can renew your passport online may be fraudulent. No one else can sign and submit your online passport application for you. These websites and companies charge extra fees and put your personal data at risk. Even if a company has “Gov” in its name, it is not authorized to accept or process online renewal applications.”
http://localhost:4503/en/passports/renew-replace/online.html
Posted by
Brooklyn, NY
5120 posts
I’m so sorry this happened to you, but thank you for sharing. We have to renew a passport in January and now I will be extra careful when clicking on any website which looks official.
Unfortunately, many of life’s lessons are learned by error, and if we didn’t share our mistakes with others, these types of websites would have more users.
Posted by
USA
914 posts
3ddana - Did you receive your passport? Were you able to review status of your application? Keep us posted.