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Expert Issues Warning Over 'Disturbing' TSA PreCheck Scam
Summer travel season is officially at hand with long lines expected at airport security over the next several months. If you've been tempted to apply for TSA PreCheck to help beat those lines, one expert has issued a word of caution.
Karin Zilberstein of Guardio, a browser extension that identifies fake websites and other malware, recently warned of a "disturbing" increase in fake TSA PreCheck sites designed to scam travelers.
"We are seeing a disturbing trend of mimicking TSA-like sites," Zilberstein told ABC11.
Zilberstein says Guardio has discovered several fake TSA precheck websites and that they are getting better and more realistic looking as technology gets better.
"The quality of the sites, obviously, scammers are getting better, using generative AI in producing more and more realistic sites," Zilberstein said, adding that the URL of the website often looks real and "something that you can relate to it, says the words TSA pre-check-in, and there are no fishy numbers, words, or symbols."
The goal of these websites is twofold. Obviously, the sites collect money from their victims who believe they are paying the fee to enroll in TSA PreCheck. Additionally, however, the scammers are also collecting personal information that could be used for identity theft or other crimes.
Zilberstein also warned that these scammers are using "malvertising," so travelers cannot simply search for "TSA PreCheck" and click on the first link on their search engine.
"With those scams that we're seeing specifically around TSA, it's very, very complicated because they also use malvertising, which is advertising that is bought for malicious purposes," Zilberstein said.
The best way to keep yourself safe from this scam is to make sure that you are using the official TSA website which ends in .gov, and look for the lock symbol or https in your web address bar, which means that the website is secure.
Expert Issues Warning Over 'Disturbing' TSA PreCheck Scam first appeared on Men's Journal on Jun 13, 2025
