Louisiana Targeted in TSA PreCheck Scam

Louisiana business travelers and vacationers now have one more fraudulent concern to add to their trip-planning list. The Transportation and Security Administration, the same folks whose job it is to keep us safe when we fly, has now had their name linked to a potentially damaging identity scam.

Like most scams, this one plays upon our desire as Americans to avoid standing in line. We hate standing in line and most of us are willing to pay a few extra bucks or go through a few extra steps to skip the line and move forward. Do you know anyone who goes to Disney and actually stands in line? Me neither, so why should standing in line for airport security be any different?

One of the ways that business travelers and those who travel for pleasure often enough have devised to skip the line is called TSA PreCheck. You've probably seen the sign for it at an airport security counter near you. The TSA PreCheck means you've already been vetted by the government and they assume you are a safe risk for travel.

In my experience, TSA PreCheck and Global Entry, another service offered by the U.S. Government, are well worth every cent. The time you save using both of those far outweighs the hassle of gathering documents and providing proof to be considered for the programs. So, when I got a voicemail message saying " I needed to call and renew" my TSA PreCheck I was more than a little concerned.

It's true, you do need to renew your TSA PreCheck status every five years. But you don't want to renew it over the phone or via a web link that was emailed to you. That's where the scammers get you. With today's technology scammers can make web pages that look just like the official TSA sites but they are not.

I did notice that the phone number that was included in my "renewal voicemail" did not match the numbers that were published on the Official TSA PreCheck website. I have heard horror stories of some people paying in excess of $150 for a bogus TSA PreCheck certification only to find out, they paid for nothing and their name and credit card information is now in the hands of scammers.

Just so you know, TSA will send email reminders that your TSA PreCheck is about to expire. You'll get those notices six months, three months, one month, and two weeks before the expiration. You may also look up your TSA PreCheck expiration online. 

Our advice, even if you get an official email from TSA, go directly to the website to do your renewal. Don't follow the links in the email. This way you know you're going to the proper site and your account will be properly credited. Don't start your vacation with a scam.