The Indian government has issued a stern advisory cautioning citizens against a rising wave of passport-related fraud. Cybercriminals are increasingly using deceptive tactics, such as setting up mirror websites that mimic official government portals to harvest sensitive information like Aadhaar details and banking data. These fraudsters often lure unsuspecting applicants with promises of expedited processing or guaranteed approvals, while others go as far as impersonating police officers to intimidate individuals into paying fake fines under the threat of passport cancellation.

To stay safe, authorities emphasize that all passport applications must be handled exclusively through the official government portal, passportindia.gov.in. Residents are strongly urged to keep their personal financial information private, avoid clicking on suspicious links from unknown sources, and ignore any unsolicited calls demanding payments or personal credentials. If you believe you have been targeted by these scammers, you should immediately report the incident via the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal at cybercrime.gov.in or contact the dedicated helpline at 1930. For legitimate passport inquiries, the official support line remains 1800-258-1800.