One Of The Most Sinister TSA Scams Might Not Even Happen To You At The Airport

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.

The simple answer is, yes. There are clear distinctions between the process for first-time TSA PreCheck applicants and travelers whose clearance is up for renewal. For renewals, the TSA does send out reminder notices via email and does accept payment of the renewal fee online. The best way to avoid inadvertently falling for a potential scam — especially when you are aware your five-year membership is up for renewal and may even be keeping an eye out for the renewal notice — is to avoid the scammer's link altogether. Instead, delete the suspicious email and sign in directly to TSA PreCheck to process a renewal. Also, keep standard government URL formatting in mind. An official communication from a government agency will never end in ".com"; it is always ".gov". Another key giveaway? If your initial reaction to the renewal fee is along the lines of, "Wow! That's a big increase," you're probably looking at a scam. Consumers who have reported receiving fraudulent renewal notices often mention a renewal fee of $139.99, up to twice the actual TSA renewal fee of $70.

Frequent travelers and those among us who carefully pack our TSA-approved carry-on bags, rely on uninterrupted access to TSA PreCheck. To tap into that sense of urgency, the scam site sends victims to another page where they are directed to confirm their password within 48 hours or risk losing access to their PreCheck account. This is the page where confirmation requires payment to complete processing. If you're reading this while patting yourself on the back for choosing another airport screening system, like Global Entry or Nexus, not so fast. Similar scams are targeting them, as well. If you receive a suspicious email to either apply for or renew TSA PreCheck, file an online complaint with the Federal Trade Commission.