The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed a federal lawsuit on October 22 against GovAssist LLC, Entry LLC, and its owner Scott Zuckerman for operating an alleged government impersonation scheme targeting citizens seeking U.S. passport services, according to the FTC's official statement.
The complaint, approved by a unanimous vote of 2-0 by the Commission and presented before the Federal District Court of the District of Puerto Rico, alleges that the operation would have raised over 40 million dollars from more than 300,000 consumers since at least October 2023.
According to the FTC, the defendants used sponsored ads on Google for searches like "passport renewal" or "apply for a new passport," placing their sites—among them GovAssist.com, Entry.com, and IVS.us—above the official website of the Department of State and posing as a government entity or government-affiliated organization.
"Using paid Google ads to impersonate the government and target American travelers is illegal," said Christopher Mufarrige, director of the FTC's Consumer Protection Office.
"Today's action should serve as a strong warning that the FTC will pursue all actors involved in search advertising schemes that deceive consumers."
Among the reported practices, the FTC indicates that Entry.com advertised services "starting at $89" when the cheapest package actually cost $119 plus $29 for shipping — a total of $148 — not including the mandatory fees from the Department of State.
Furthermore, the defendants promised expedited passports in three to four or six to ten business days, timelines that the FTC deems impossible since only the Department of State can issue U.S. passports, with minimum processing times of two to three weeks for expedited service.
In many cases, consumers only received downloadable application forms for free on the official website, and they still had to complete additional procedures and pay government fees separately.
The FTC also accuses the defendants of inflating their reputation with fake positive reviews on Trustpilot and other platforms to appear legitimate to users.
Zuckerman was already under an administrative order from the FTC since December 2021, stemming from an unrelated prior case: the marketing of SpyFone, a covert surveillance app operated under Support King LLC, which was banned from the surveillance industry and required to delete illegally collected data.
The lawsuit alleges violations of the FTC Act, the Identity Theft Rule, and the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act. The case will be decided by the court and does not imply proven guilt.
Those who need to apply for or renew their U.S. passport can check the requirements and procedures on the official website of the government.
The current fees are: first-time adult passport application, $130 plus a $35 acceptance fee; passport renewal, $130; expedited service, an additional $60. The DS-11 and DS-82 forms are available for free download. No private intermediary can issue passports or guarantee faster processing times than the official ones.
Those who believe they have been victims of such schemes can file a report at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Related videos:
Filed under: