Avoid TSA PreCheck Application Scams
If scammers can find a way to trick you into giving them money, personal information, or both, they will do so, including by posing as government contractors offering to help process TSA PreCheck applications.
As The Points Guy describes , numerous scammers pretend to offer legitimate TSA PreCheck application support, such as accuracy checks and interview appointment scheduling, and charge up to $100 for the service. These websites claim to be official, but in reality they simply steal money and personal information from applicants.
How to Avoid TSA PreCheck Enrollment Fraud
First, visit the official TSA.gov website, which will connect you directly with enrollment partners contracted to process TSA PreCheck applications. Note that a legitimate government website ends in .gov. TSA works with Idemia, which operates more than 620 enrollment centers, and Telos, which has 26 offices, to help travelers enroll in TSA PreCheck. There are no other third-party services in the mix.
Besides a website with a different company name and a different domain, there are some big red flags that could indicate you’re being scammed. First, initial TSA PreCheck enrollment costs $78 through Idemia and $85 through Telos, so if you’re asked to pay extra, don’t proceed. Second, you don’t have to pay anything online while you’re applying—all payments are taken in person at the registration locations when you’re fingerprinted and photographed. (However, renewal is available online for $70 through both contract enrollment providers.)
Scammers may try to trick you by promising to help you set up an appointment, but the process is easy to do yourself. There are more than 600 walk-in appointment locations in U.S. states and territories, and many allow walk-in appointments.
If you paid a fraudulent fee for assistance in the TSA PreCheck app, you can report the charge to your financial institution and file a claim with the Federal Trade Commission .