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What to do if…
you receive a demand for money to return your lost passport or documents and suspect a scam

Produced and maintained by PanicStation.org Published: Last reviewed: Editorial policy USA guide

Short answer

Do not pay, click links, or share more information. If a valid U.S. passport is missing, report it lost or stolen through the U.S. State Department, then use official channels to replace it safely.

Do not do these things

  • Do not send money, gift cards, cryptocurrency, wire transfers, or app payments to “get your passport back”.
  • Do not send a new photo or scan of your passport, visa, boarding pass, signature, Social Security number, or bank details to the person contacting you.
  • Do not click links they send, install “tracking” apps, or enter details on a site they provide.
  • Do not meet them alone or in a private place to exchange cash for documents.
  • Do not trust a claim that they are from a U.S. agency, embassy, airport, hotel, taxi company, or courier unless you verify it through contact details you found yourself.

What to do now

  1. Treat the demand as unsafe unless official channels confirm it. A payment demand, urgency, secrecy, gift cards, cryptocurrency, or a link they want you to use is a scam warning sign, even if they know a real detail about you.
  2. Preserve evidence, then stop negotiating. Screenshot messages, usernames, phone numbers, email addresses, links, payment instructions, wallet addresses, and any threats. Do not argue about the price or send proof that the documents are yours.
  3. If a valid U.S. passport is missing, report it lost or stolen. Use the U.S. State Department process. Once a valid passport is reported lost or stolen, it is canceled and cannot be used for international travel, even if you later find it.
  4. If you are outside the U.S. and need to travel, contact the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. Use official U.S. government pages or your own saved embassy details, not contact details sent by the person demanding money. Ask about replacement or emergency passport steps.
  5. If it is safe and practical, file a local police report. Ask for a report or incident number. A police report is not always mandatory, but it may help document the loss or theft.
  6. Verify any “we found it” claim yourself. If the person says an airport, hotel, taxi, rideshare, bar, police station, or courier has your documents, contact that organisation using its official website, app, booking confirmation, or a number you already trust.
  7. If you paid or shared financial details, contact the payment provider now. Use the number on the back of your card, your banking app, or the official payment-service app. Say you were targeted by a scam involving a passport or document “return” demand and ask whether the transaction can be stopped or reversed.
  8. If you shared identity details, write down exactly what was shared. Include passport photos, driver’s licence photos, Social Security number, address, date of birth, account numbers, or login details. Use official identity-theft guidance for the next steps.
  9. If the contact happened online, report it to IC3. Use the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center complaint form and include the screenshots and payment details you saved.

What can wait

  • You do not need to decide right now whether to confront the person or “prove” the passport is yours.
  • You do not need to arrange a meetup, pay a small “test” amount, or keep messaging to see what they say next.
  • You do not need to change every travel plan before you have started the official passport replacement process and know your realistic options.
  • You do not need to post publicly about the missing passport while you are still securing the document and accounts.

Important reassurance

This situation feels urgent because a passport controls travel, and scammers use that pressure. Using official replacement routes and refusing private payment demands is the safest way to regain control.

Scope note

These are first steps only. Replacing other documents, dealing with visas, changing travel plans, or identity-protection follow-up may need specialist help later.

Important note

This is general information, not legal, financial, security, immigration, or other professional advice. If you are being threatened in person, move toward a safer public place and call local emergency services.

Additional Resources

Closely connected guides that may be useful during the same situation or its immediate aftermath.

About this guide

This guide was produced and is maintained by PanicStation.org using its published editorial process. Official and specialist sources are checked where relevant, and AI-assisted tools may be used for drafting, organisation, and consistency checks. The site operator remains responsible for publication, revision, and removal decisions.

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