ESTA / Visa Copycat Application-Fee Site
Copycat sites charge inflated 'service fees' to file an ESTA or visa application you could submit yourself on the official government site — and harvest your passport data. (Overlaps F22 visa copycats.)
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What this scam is
When travelers need a US ESTA (or another country's e-visa/travel authorization), copycat websites appear in ads and search results, mimicking official portals. They charge a large 'service fee' on top of (or instead of) the real government fee to 'help' with the application, and collect your passport and personal data. Some file nothing. Official travel authorizations are applied for directly on the government's own site for the real fee.
What it usually looks like
- An official-looking ESTA/visa site reached via ad or search.
- A 'service fee' well above the real government fee.
- Requests for full passport and personal data.
- Urgency about travel deadlines.
Common warning signs
- Non-official sites (not the government's .gov) charging extra.
- Service fees far above the official amount.
- Ads/search links rather than the official portal.
- Pressure tied to travel dates.
Example wording scammers use
“Get your USA travel authorization fast — official processing, $89 (real ESTA fee is a fraction).”
“Apply for your visa here — expedited service, guaranteed approval.”
These are illustrative examples written by ScamSplain, not real messages.
What the scammers want
- Inflated 'service fees.'
- Your passport and personal data.
- To impersonate official portals.
What to do
- Apply only on the official government site (for US ESTA, the official CBP ESTA site).
- Ignore search ads and third-party 'services.'
- Never overpay a 'service fee' for a government application.
- Verify the exact official web address.
What to do if you already responded
- Dispute the charge; if you shared passport data, watch for misuse.
- Complete the real application on the official site.
- Report at reportfraud.ftc.gov.