Fake ESTA and UK ETA Websites: How Travellers Get Overcharged

Unofficial ESTA and UK ETA websites are private businesses that copy the look of government sites and charge several times the official fee for a travel permission you can get directly in minutes. The official US ESTA site is esta.cbp.dhs.gov, and the fee is $40.62 from 16 October 2026 (Federal Register, 1 October 2026). The official UK ETA costs £20 on GOV.UK, and the UK government itself warns: "Other websites may charge more to apply. Avoid websites that imitate government services" (GOV.UK). Canada's eTA costs CAN$7 on canada.ca. Some copycat sites are legal middlemen that add a large service fee. Others take your money and passport details and never apply at all. In October 2026 the US Federal Trade Commission sued one operator for allegedly using Google ads to impersonate the government for passport and visa services (FTC, 22 October 2026).

That is the short answer. If you have just paid, or are about to, the rest of this page shows you how to tell the difference, and what to do next.

Imagine you are a nurse in Manchester, born in Ghana, and your sister is getting married in Houston in three weeks. You type "ESTA application" into Google on your phone during a break. The first result has a US flag, a blue and red banner and a button that says "Apply Now". The form looks official. You fill it in, pay, and get a confirmation email.

Later you look at your bank app. The charge is £85. A colleague tells you she paid about thirty pounds for hers.

Did you get scammed? Do you even have a valid ESTA? And will this happen again when your cousin visits you in London and needs a UK ETA?

Key facts: official sites and fees (October 2026)

That last line matters. Any site taking money for an ETIAS today is not processing a real ETIAS.

Are unofficial ESTA and ETA websites a scam?

Some are, and some are legal but overpriced. The difference matters for getting your money back.

Legal intermediaries. It is lawful for someone else to apply for you. US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) says "a third party, such as a relative or travel agent, is permitted to submit an ESTA application on behalf of a VWP traveler." But CBP is clear about what you get for the extra fee: "Use of a private service to apply for travel authorization via ESTA will not expedite approval. Third party websites ... are not endorsed by, associated with, or affiliated in any way with DHS or the U.S. government" (CBP, last modified 24 January 2025). Canada's IRCC puts it the same way: "You may have used a legitimate third party service that charges more to get an eTA" (IRCC, 28 September 2026).

Misleading intermediaries. The problem starts when a site makes you think it is the government. UK and US regulators have acted on exactly that point (see below).

Outright fakes. Some sites never file anything. Frontex, the EU border agency, found "over 100 unofficial websites" about ETIAS in 2024 and warned that "several sites ... claim to already accept ETIAS applications", even though the system was not running. It listed the risks as "identity theft", "charging extortionate fees" and "data protection concerns" (Frontex, 22 June 2024).

Think of it like buying a train ticket. A travel agent who sells you a real ticket with a booking fee is one thing. A man in a fake uniform at the station who sells you a ticket at five times the price is another. A man who sells you a ticket for a train that does not run yet is a third.

How the copycat sites look official

Regulators and investigators keep finding the same tricks.

1. Paid ads above the real site. Which? searched Google in 2021 and found "the top site was an advert for the very similar-looking esta-cbp-gov.com", which charged $88 when the official ESTA cost $14. Another, Esta-visatravel.com, charged "up to $111". Both "include small disclaimers that they're not affiliated with the US government. Neither responded to requests for comment" (Which?, 7 July 2021).
2. Official-sounding addresses. Domains that include "esta", "cbp", "gov", "eta" or "uk" in a new order. Frontex says unofficial ETIAS sites "use domain names that seem official".
3. Flags, seals and colours. The ASA ruling below describes a site with the American flag, the Statue of Liberty and a British passport on its home page.
4. The price hidden at the end. The real cost appears in the small print, below the form, or only at checkout.
5. Information pages that look like guidance. "What is ESTA?" and "Who needs to apply?" pages, written as if by the government.
6. Fake reviews. In its October 2026 complaint, the FTC alleges one operator touted an "excellent rating" on Trustpilot "when in fact their rating is based on high numbers of fake positive reviews."

Ask yourself one question before you click "pay". Does the address end in a government domain: .gov, gov.uk, canada.ca or europa.eu?

What regulators have found

UK Advertising Standards Authority: estavisas.co.uk (2013)

The ASA ruled against IQ Channels Ltd, trading as estavisas.co.uk, on 18 December 2013. The site charged £79 for an ESTA when the US government charge was $14. The ASA found that the home page "implied that the ad related to an official ESTA service" and that the price, shown only in terms below the application form, "was not given sufficient prominence". It upheld both complaints, ruled the ad misleading and referred the company to its compliance team. The company "did not respond to the ASA's enquiries" (ASA, 18 December 2013).

US Federal Trade Commission: GovAssist, Entry and IVS.us (October 2026)

On 22 October 2026 the FTC sued GovAssist LLC, Entry LLC and their owner Scott Zuckerman. The FTC alleges that since at least October 2023 they ran websites including GovAssist.com, Entry.com and IVS.us offering passport services, "as well as other travel-related services such as visa applications and visa renewals, while pretending to be affiliated with the U.S. State Department."

The complaint alleges that:

• Paid Google ads placed their passport pages as "top sponsored results" for searches like "passport renewal online".
• They advertised services "start at $89" when "the lowest price they offer is $119 plus a $29 shipping fee, for a total of $148", and played down the separate government fee.
• Their "expedited" promises were "faster than the fastest possible expedited service offered by the only source for passports".
• They used fake positive reviews.

"Using paid Google search ads and landing pages to impersonate the government and target American travelers is illegal," said Christopher Mufarrige, Director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection. These are allegations. The FTC's own release notes: "The case will be decided by the court." We found no public response from the companies at the time of writing.

US Federal Trade Commission: American Immigration Center (2018)

In an earlier case, the company behind "American Immigration Center" settled FTC allegations that it used search ads and patriotic-looking websites to make people think they were dealing with US immigration authorities, with a $2.2 million judgment (FTC, 16 October 2018).

Google's own rules

Google says only "certified governments and authorized providers" may run ads for the direct purchase of government documents such as ESTA and eTA. Since 22 October 2025, Google says it automatically adds a "Not a government website" label to search ads for these documents unless the advertiser is certified as a government provider (Google Ads policy, posted 22 September 2025).

That label is your friend. If you see it, scroll down.

Why this matters more now

Two changes pushed millions more people into these searches.

• The UK ETA became mandatory. From 25 February 2026, "airlines will prevent passengers from boarding if they do not have an ETA, eVisa or have other valid documentation," the Home Office said. Over 19 million visitors had applied since October 2023 (Home Office, 25 February 2026).
• The ESTA fee jumped. It rose to $40 on 30 September 2025 (US Embassy London, 9 September 2025) and was adjusted to $40.62 on 16 October 2026 (Federal Register). A higher official fee makes a copycat's $89 look less shocking.

And ETIAS is coming but has no start date. The EU says it will announce the date "several months prior to its launch". Until then, every "ETIAS application" site is selling something that does not exist yet.

The money: official fee vs what people paid

Look at the pattern. The government fee went up over the years. The copycat price stayed far above it.

Visa appointment sellers and fake booking sites

The same trick reaches people applying for full visas.

• Appointments are free. VFS Global, which runs visa centres for many governments, says: "VFS Global does not sell visa appointments. Appointments are free of cost and can be booked only on www.vfsglobal.com." It adds that it "never asks you for upfront payments via email, SMS, or call" (VFS Global).
• No inside track. VFS says it "has no role or influence on the decision of your visa application", and that paying for extras does not get a quicker or better decision.
• Bots and resellers. Agents who "guarantee" a Schengen or US appointment slot for a fee are reselling something the government gives free, and in some cases are using automated tools. Our guide to VFS and biometrics backlogs explains how to plan around waiting times honestly.

Red flags you can check in ten seconds

Already paid a copycat site? What to do now

1. Check if you really have the permission. For ESTA, use "Check ESTA status" on esta.cbp.dhs.gov. For the UK, use "Check your ETA" on GOV.UK. For Canada, IRCC says to use the eTA Check Status tool with your application number and passport details.
2. If you do have it, it is valid. A legal intermediary that filed for you got you a real permission. You overpaid, but you can travel.
3. If you do not have it, apply again on the official site today. Do not wait for the copycat to reply. Your trip matters more than the argument.
4. Ask the website for a refund in writing. Keep the reply.
5. Contact your card provider quickly. In the UK, Citizens Advice says you can use Section 75 for credit card payments over £100, or chargeback for debit cards and smaller amounts. Seven victims of one fake UK care recruiter got money back this way in 2026, according to the Insolvency Service.
6. Do not expect the government to refund the extra. "The Government of Canada does not issue refunds for extra fees charged by third party websites" (IRCC). The UK says you cannot get a refund for an ETA.
7. Report it. In the UK, report to Report Fraud, which replaced Action Fraud on 4 December 2025: reportfraud.police.uk or 0300 123 2040 (Serious Fraud Office, 4 December 2025). In the US, report to ReportFraud.ftc.gov. In Canada, IRCC says to contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre if you are in Canada, or your local police if you are abroad. If you shared passport details with a site that never applied, tell your bank and watch for identity misuse.

The honest lesson

A copycat travel site does not need to break the law to take your money. It only needs you to be in a hurry, on your phone, with Google showing an ad first. The fix takes ten seconds: type the government address yourself, or scroll past the ads.

This matters even more if you are moving abroad, because your visa journey will include many forms and fees. The pattern is the same everywhere. Government fees are paid on government websites. Anyone in the middle must tell you, clearly and before you pay, what they charge and what they add.

For the full rules on each travel permission, including who needs one and how long it lasts, read ETIAS, ETA and ESTA explained. If you were caught by a bigger scam, such as a fake job or visa agent, our guide on what to do when an agent took your money walks through recovery step by step.

Frequently asked questions

Which ESTA website is official?

The only official ESTA website is esta.cbp.dhs.gov, run by US Customs and Border Protection. The US Embassy in London calls it "the ONLY official ESTA website". From 16 October 2026 the official fee is $40.62, or $10.62 if the application is denied. Any other website is a third party, even if it looks official.

Is a UK ETA scam site illegal?

Charging a service fee to apply for you is not illegal in itself. Pretending to be the government, or hiding the real price, can break advertising and consumer law; the UK's ASA ruled against an ESTA site in 2013 for implying it was official and hiding its £79 price. A site that takes money and never applies is fraud. The official UK ETA costs £20 on GOV.UK.

How do I get a refund from a fake ESTA or ETA website?

Ask the website in writing first, then contact your card provider; in the UK you can use Section 75 for credit card payments over £100 or chargeback for debit cards. Governments do not refund extra fees charged by third parties. Report the site to Report Fraud in the UK, ReportFraud.ftc.gov in the US, or the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.

Is my ESTA valid if I used a third-party website?

It can be. If the third party actually filed your application, your ESTA is real and valid, and you simply overpaid. Check your status on esta.cbp.dhs.gov with your application number. If nothing appears, apply again on the official site before you travel.

How much does a UK ETA cost?

£20 on the official GOV.UK service or the official UK ETA app, as of October 2026. GOV.UK warns that "other websites may charge more to apply" and tells travellers to "avoid websites that imitate government services". Since 25 February 2026, airlines refuse boarding to eligible visitors who do not have an ETA or other valid permission.

Can I apply for ETIAS now?

No. The official EU site says "ETIAS is currently not in operation and no applications for travel authorisations are collected at this point". The EU says it will announce the start date several months ahead. The fee will be €20. Any site taking ETIAS applications today is not processing a real ETIAS.

Are visa appointments sold legally?

VFS Global says it "does not sell visa appointments" and that appointments are free and bookable only on vfsglobal.com, though some countries charge an approved service fee. Agents who sell appointment slots are reselling something the government provides free, and paying them does not speed up or improve your visa decision.

What did the FTC sue GovAssist for?

On 22 October 2026 the FTC sued GovAssist LLC, Entry LLC and owner Scott Zuckerman, alleging they used paid Google ads to impersonate the government for passport and visa services, advertised misleading prices, made false expedite promises and used fake reviews. These are allegations; the court will decide the case.

Related guides

• Travel Authorisation Explained: ETA, ETIAS, ESTA, eTA
• How to Avoid Immigration Scams: Red Flags to Know
• An Agent Took Your Money: What You Can Actually Do
• Twelve Red Flags to Check Before You Pay a Migration Fee