Free Request to Place a Fraud Alert on a Passport

The U.S. Department of State may require that you include proof of your identity theft incident such as photocopies of the ID Theft Affidavit, a filed Police Report, etc.

Photocopies, not the original copies, of any relevant documents should be included with the letter (unless otherwise required by the U.S. Department of State). You should keep a copy of all written communications with the U.S. Department of State and maintain a written summary of all oral communications.

If your passport has been lost or stolen you should report it immediately to the U.S. Department of State to prevent fraud. However, if your identity has been stolen you should contact the U.S. Department of State even if your passport has not been lost or stolen. By contacting the U.S. Department of State it will be alerted if the ID thief attempts to commit passport fraud.

The phone number for the U.S. Department of State, Passport Services is (202) 955-0430. In addition, you should send a letter to follow up or as first contact with the U.S. Department of State alerting them to the identity theft and allowing them to watch for suspicious activity involving your passport.

1. The letter should be signed, but it is not necessary that the signature be witnessed or notarized.

2. Be sure to attach any evidence of the identity theft incident.

3. Retain a copy of the letter for your records. Keep the original copies of any enclosures, unless you are required to send the originals. If you send an original, keep a copy.

4. Although not required, sending the letter in a manner that can be tracked (e.g., overnight courier or certified mail/return receipt requested) is highly advisable. It may assist you in the event you need evidence of receipt of the letter.

5. After a reasonable amount of time has passed, follow up to make sure that any request action was actually taken.