Madison County officials issue warning over surge in passport scams
Seth Ratliff
REXBURG, Idaho (KIFI) — Madison County officials are sounding the alarm following a recent spike in scams related to passport applications.
Spokesperson Teri Aldrich says reports that Madison County staff have recently encountered a growing number of residents who mistakenly believe they have already paid for their passports online through unofficial websites.
“Residents should be cautious of websites that request online payment for passport processing services, as these may be misleading or fraudulent,” said Aldrich in an email to the media.
Madison County does accept and process passport applications, but Aldrich emphasises that the U.S. Department of State never accepts online payments for new passport applications.
When applying for a new passport, passport fee must be paid by check or money order made payable to the U.S. Department of State and mailed to the passport processing center as part of the application. For more information, click HERE.