Broome County Warns Residents About Passport Processing Scams

In a world of never-ending scams, here's another one. A local one to be aware of.

According to a notice from Aaron Martin, Broome County Clerk, there is a potential scams related to third-party service companies claiming to process U.S. passports.

This scam instructs persons to pay a large processing fee and provide personal and sensitive information and documents through various websites. The scam then informs persons to visit a Passport Acceptance Agency for further processing.

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We have had several customers visit our office over the past few weeks expressing that they have visited a website that claimed to process Passports, paid a large fee and then are directed to a Passport Acceptance Agency. Our customers are led to believe that they’re coming to our office to hand in their paperwork but then our staff informs them that the standard fee to the U.S. Department of State and to the Broome County Clerk’s Office are still required. This is when the customer realizes they may have been scammed. Our office provides hands-on assistance with filling out the necessary forms free of charge. We are warning the public to be cautious when using third-party services claiming to process passports. Our Passport Agents are qualified by the Federal Government and must adhere to standard processing guidelines. - Broome County Clerk Aaron Martin

The Broome County Clerk's Office advises residents to be aware of misrepresentation of services, collection of sensitive personal documents, and the financial harm potential of these scams. Be suspicious of websites that do not end with a .gov requesting copies of personal documents, to help prevent exposing yourself to identity theft.

If you are looking to apply for a U.S. Passport, find a legitimate acceptance
facility, and more available services, visit the Broome County Clerk’s Office website.

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