Some family milestones are non-negotiable, like watching your grandson graduate from university.
For Janice Brathwaite, a proud grandmother from Salem, that meant traveling from Boston to Lexington to see him walk the stage at the University of Kentucky.
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But just as she was finalizing her plans, she hit a familiar roadblock for frequent flyers: her passport had expired. On top of that, she didn’t have a Real ID yet. The clock was ticking, and missing her grandson’s graduation wasn’t an option.
“I made a promise to my grandson,” Brathwaite told Boston 25 News. “If he graduated, I would be there.”
Without a Real ID and her passport expired, she turned to the internet in a panic. That’s when she found a site called PassportsandVisas.com, which claimed it could renew her passport in just four days for a $499 fee.
But that effort to speed up the process became a waking nightmare.
Where’s the passport
After filling out the necessary information, Brathwaite says she waited weeks for a passport that never arrived. When she tried to follow up, her calls went straight to voicemail.
“I’m pretty good at doing my due diligence when it comes to things like this,” Brathwaite said. “But this was a case where, you know, panic took over.”
When Boston 25 News contacted the company, someone did pick up, but only to direct all questions to email. The newsroom sent three messages over a week. Despite the website promising replies “within one hour,” no one ever responded.
Now, Brathwaite is out $499 and still without a passport; the consequences can extend far beyond a missed trip.
According to the Federal Trade Commission, online scams cost Americans more than $3 billion, compared to around $1.9 billion lost to traditional schemes, such as calls, texts, and emails.
Read more: How much cash do you plan to keep on hand after you retire? Here are 3 of the biggest reasons you’ll need a substantial stash of savings in retirement
The risks beyond the passport
Thankfully, the website Brathwaite used turned out to be just an expensive middleman, charging hundreds for a service she could’ve done herself through the U.S. State Department. According to officials, the only site Americans should trust for passport applications is mytravel.state.gov.
Sharing sensitive information like your Social Security number and date of birth with third-party sites can lead to identity theft.
“It’s important you know who you’re providing information to,” Paula Fleming of Boston’s Better Business Bureau told Boston 25 News.
Before you book any trip, ensure your travel ID is up to date. If your passport is close to expiring, confirm if it’s eligible for renewal and give yourself time.
Third-party sites offering rush services often come with steep fees. Before handing over hundreds of dollars or personal data, take a minute to do your due diligence. Stick to .gov domains, read reviews and avoid companies that are reportedly incommunicado. And if a site is asking for sensitive information, ask yourself: Who am I sharing this with?
Brathwaite’s passport eventually arrived, but not before she paid $380 to delay her flight. The silver lining is that the TSA let her board with her Massachusetts license, and she made it to Kentucky just in time to see her grandson graduate.
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This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.