ALABAMA (WHNT) — The May 7th date is looming for fliers. That’s the date TSA will start asking for a real ID or “Star ID” if you’re in Alabama.
Trooper Brandon Bailey with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said this form of identification creates a safer, more secure way for people to fly.
“We can securely identify who you say you are when you get on these planes and try to cut down and make traveling a safer experience for everybody,” he said.
Although millions across Alabama are scrambling to get the ID, you’d rather get caught waiting in line than lose your identity to a scam.
“You’ve got to have multiple forms of ID for this, said Karen Reeves. “That’s why it does open us up for identity theft. So if we were to go to a bogus website and put all this information in, someone would have everything they needed, you know, for identity theft.”
That’s why the Better Business Bureau of North Alabama is warning people against scammers offering an easy “order online option.”
“It is federally required that you show up in person to get a star ID, and that comes back to just simply so we can identify, we can lay hands on those documents and we can scan them in and so we can certify them,” said Bailey.
While you should make it a priority to get the real ID if you plan to fly in the near future, it’s key to know who and where to give your information.
“Scammers always want you to feel a sense of urgency, so I would just say take a few minutes, think about it, go to the actual the DMV website, and it’s going to give you all the information there,” Reeves said.
ALEA’s website has all the required documents to get your Star ID, including where you can make an appointment. You can click here to go to the ALEA website.
The TSA website lists how you can fly without a Star ID. You can click here to go to the TSA website.
The post Watch out for scams when getting your Star ID appeared first on WHNT.
