FTC Sues Passport Sites It Says Posed as the Government

The Federal Trade Commission has sued GovAssist LLC, Entry LLC and Scott Zuckerman, alleging that since at least October 2023 their websites, including GovAssist.com, Entry.com and IVS.us, impersonated the U.S. State Department or claimed to be affiliated with it to sell passport and visa services, the agency said October 22. The defendants have not had their day in court; the allegations are the FTC's.

According to the complaint, the companies paid for Google search ads that appeared as top sponsored results for phrases such as "apply for a new passport," "how can I renew my passport" and "passport renewal online," leading travelers to believe they were dealing with the government or an authorized provider. The FTC also alleges false promises about the service to obtain people's financial and personal information.

The official source for U.S. passports is the State Department at travel.state.gov, where many adults can renew online. Look for a .gov address before entering any information, and be wary of the ads above search results, which can be bought by anyone. If you paid a site you thought was the government, the FTC takes reports at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.