The Better Business Bureau is warning consumers about fraudulent websites that are designed to look like official government pages for passport and driver's license renewals.
Peggy Layton learned about the risk firsthand after doing a quick Google search on her phone.
"It was one of the first ones I saw, and I was trying to renew my passport," Layton said.
The site looked like a government page, though the fee seemed a bit high.
"$160 to begin the processing and everything," Layton said.
She paid with a credit card and uploaded a photo of her passport — but nothing happened.
"They kept sending me things, it's being delayed, it's being delayed. So I questioned what was going on and then realized it was not a government agency," Layton said.
WATCH: A woman shows how she was fooled by a fake government site
Warning signs of a lookalike passport or BMV site
Christine Hayley of the Better Business Bureau says many people are fooled by lookalike passport and driver's license renewal sites.
"They're going to take advantage of you for the quickness and the urgency of what you're trying to do," Hayley said.
The BBB says some of these sites are not outright scams, but they look very similar to official government pages. Consumers can easily miss the fine print stating the site is not a government agency.
"The website will ask for your personal information, your name, your birth date, and then they ask for a fee," Hayley said.
On sites like these, consumers are paying for a form they could fill out for free on the U.S. Department of State's website or their state's Bureau of Motor Vehicles site.
"Does it say .gov? The .gov is going to be where you can go to get your passports," Hayley said.
Beware the first listings that pop up
Layton says she wishes she had taken more time before clicking.
"Make sure you are not hitting the first website you see, because a lot of them are what they call sponsored," Layton said.
When renewing a driver's license or passport online, always verify you are on an official government site before entering personal information or paying any fees.
That way you don't waste your money.
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This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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