FTC Sues Passport Sites Over Government-Impersonation Claims

On 22 October, the US Federal Trade Commission announced a lawsuit against GovAssist LLC, Entry LLC and Scott Zuckerman. The agency alleges that websites offering passport and other travel services presented themselves as the federal government or as affiliated with it, using paid Google search ads to attract people seeking passport applications and renewals.

The FTC's release names GovAssist.com, Entry.com and IVS.us and says the alleged conduct dates back to at least October 2023. The news is the regulator's complaint, not a claim that these sites first appeared this week. The complaint was filed in the US District Court for the District of Puerto Rico; the FTC explicitly says the case will be decided by the court.

The agency alleges misleading promises about issuing passports, prices and expedited delivery, and fake positive reviews used to make the services appear legitimate. It says some customers received only a completed application they could have obtained free from the State Department website, with government fees still payable separately. This account is based on the FTC's announcement; it does not include a response from the defendants.

Passport applications bring identity details and payment information together at a moment when travellers may be under time pressure. The risk is not just paying more than expected: a user needs to know who is collecting their information and what service that organisation actually provides.

A sponsored result indicates advertising placement, not government approval. Reviews and an official-looking name are not substitutes for checking the issuing authority. The FTC's allegations concern these defendants and should not be read as a finding that every paid passport-assistance service is unlawful.

Start at the passport authority's official website rather than an advertisement. For a US passport, use the US State Department's passport guidance; for a UK passport, start at GOV.UK. This case concerns US passport services, not an announced change to British passport applications.

Before submitting identity details, establish whether you are dealing with the government or a private intermediary. Read what the fee buys, whether government charges are additional, and which organisation actually issues the document. Check urgency and processing claims against the issuing authority's own current guidance rather than a search ad.

If you have already used a service and are unsure what was submitted, check your application through the issuing authority's official process. Keep receipts and correspondence, and contact your payment provider through a known channel about disputed charges. Do not send more ID or money to an unsolicited caller offering to recover a payment. These are precautionary steps, not a promise of a refund.

A VPN can reduce exposure of your internet traffic on an untrusted network, but it cannot establish that a passport website is government-affiliated. An encrypted connection to a website still delivers the information you submit to that website's operator.

Choose the right destination before entering personal information. Buying a VPN does not resolve misleading advertising, verify reviews, or undo a disclosure to the wrong organisation.