# Something I wondered about passport spam... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 12, 2015, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-i-wondered-about-passport-spam/719894 "2015-05-12T23:05:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2015, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-i-wondered-about-passport-spam/719894/1 "2015-05-12T23:05:41Z")
Why don’t they seem afraid of Homeland Security tracking them? I mean, passports strike me as a serious federal issue, especially with terrorism paranoia. Are they just international entities who figure they’re safe in their home country? Iraqis would beg to differ. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2015, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-i-wondered-about-passport-spam/719894/2 "2015-05-12T23:25:34Z")
😕 Passport spam 😕 ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2015, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-i-wondered-about-passport-spam/719894/3 "2015-05-12T23:54:24Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > 😕 Passport spam 😕 Selling false passports and other forms of ID. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-i-wondered-about-passport-spam/719894/4 "2015-05-13T00:30:40Z")
We’ve had spam from these people here several times. They claim to offer genuine and replica passports for various countries, other identity documents and even counterfeit currency. It’s so blatant that I think they’re trolling for stupid but dishonest people. ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-i-wondered-about-passport-spam/719894/5 "2015-05-13T01:31:20Z")
I’m confused. Are we talking about spam, as in email? ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-i-wondered-about-passport-spam/719894/6 "2015-05-13T05:32:49Z")
Spam as in message boards. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-i-wondered-about-passport-spam/719894/7 "2015-05-13T07:49:35Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > Why don’t they seem afraid of Homeland Security tracking them? I mean, passports strike me as a serious federal issue, especially with terrorism paranoia. Are they just international entities who figure they’re safe in their home country? Iraqis would beg to differ. First, it usually isn’t worthwhile to invade another country over a few scammers. That’s why extradition treaties exist, and, yes, it is possible to evade justice by being in another country sometimes. Second, if they just take money and never deliver the forged documents, I can’t imagine any of the big agencies getting too worked up over it. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-i-wondered-about-passport-spam/719894/8 "2015-05-13T12:24:44Z")
Why bother going after the seller? I assume the fake passport will not work and the user will get caught, right? When my son was young (ten?) I gave him a fake PA Drivers License. It was a very good fake, made for me by a very sketchy character who owed me a favor. But it was a gag. His name address, etc were all correct, but the birthdate made him 105 and the picture was a grouchy old man pic. He _loved_ that thing. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2015, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-i-wondered-about-passport-spam/719894/9 "2015-05-14T01:43:31Z")
Your son’s name is McLovin?