PHOENIX — Millions of Americans are preparing to travel during the holiday season. Travelers can expect long security lines at the airport, and many people want to breeze through Transportation Security Administration (TSA) security checks.
Unfortunately, scammers know it too, so much so that they’re now posing as the government to take advantage of holiday travelers who want to move quickly through security.
Scammers are targeting travelers with phony websites, hoping they will click the link, that takes you to a malicious website or link, not the official TSA PreCheck website.
The FTC reported that consumers lost $76 million in 2023 to government impersonation scams alone.
What happens is scammers will use the link to trick you into paying to “enroll” or “renew” on the phony website, and you may not realize you’ve paid the scammer until you arrive at the airport to travel.
Remember, if you are applying for TSA PreCheck for the first time, you cannot pay the application fee online. You must finish the application and pay in person.
Now, if you are already enrolled in the program, you can renew and pay in-person or online, but make sure you start the renewal process online at the official website. A scammer’s link will take you to another site that looks real, but if you pay and provide your personal information, the scammer will steal it.
The best ways to avoid scammers impersonating TSA PreCheck:
- Do not click on any unexpected emails or text messages.
- Do not rush. If someone pushed you to pay right away, chances are they’re a scammer.
- Go to the official website to get information, renew, and/or apply. Here’s the official website.
