Passport appointment fraud in Mexico

The Mexican Secretariat of Foreign Affairs (SRE) and regional authorities have issued warnings regarding fraudulent schemes targeting passport applicants.

Initial alerts from the SRE focused on cloned websites that mimic the official appointment portal to deceive users into making payments via bank transfers or convenience stores. The agency clarified that official payments must only be made through authorized bank windows or personal electronic banking, stating, “Realiza previamente el pago de derechos en ventanilla bancaria o a través de banca electrónica. IMPORTANTE: No pagues tu pasaporte en tiendas de conveniencia ni realices depósitos en cuentas bancarias personales.”

Subsequent warnings from state and municipal authorities, including the State Cyber Police in Coahuila and officials in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, highlighted that these criminals use social media advertisements and slightly altered domain names to steal personal and financial information. Authorities emphasized that scheduling appointments is a free service and warned citizens against paying intermediaries for services provided at no cost by the government.