It appears scammers have set their sights on the Transportation Security Administration’s PreCheck program. According to a recent FTC consumer alert, scammers are sending sign-up and renewal notices to unsuspecting citizens. If you get one, ditch it immediately. The emails prompt recipients to click a link that takes them to an unofficial copycat site that looks eerily similar to an official TSA PreCheck registration site. One more time, don’t go there. The fake registration site encourages easy sign-up. Just fill in the form, enter your credit card info, and you are ready to show your TSA PreCheck status the next time you’re in an airport. The catch is, the money goes to the scammers. The copycat site has nothing to do with the TSA — or any official government agency for that matter — so you will be in for a rude awakening when you confidently stroll through the expedite PreCheck security line only to be turned away and directed to the back of the usually-far-longer primary queue to the security checkpoint.
It pays to be vigilant. While the scam site may look official, observant consumers can look for a few tells to confirm their suspicions. First of all, the TSA will never ask first-time registrants to pay online. An official registration requires a completed application followed by a requisite visit to a brick-and-mortar TSA enrollment center for an in-person interview. That’s when payment takes place — and it’s only collected after applicants visit a TSA location in person to answer a few basic questions and provide a current U.S. passport or a driver’s license, a birth certificate, and a complete set of fingerprints.
Are scammers targeting PreCheck renewals, too?
