Missing Passport question

[Hisgirl]

My sibling can't find a passport. Still unpacking boxes from a move, so it COULD show up, but all obvious places have been double checked.

There is a possibility, someone took the passport and tried to use it (long ugly story).

Is there a way to check travel history of ones passport? It could still show up, so hate to order new one, but also trying to find out if this possible situation did happen.

 

[SharonZ]

I think you can only report it lost or stolen. I'm not aware of being able to track the travel history, though.

 

[sam_gordon]

Passport records do not include evidence of travel such as entrance/exit stamps, visas, residence permits, etc., since this information is entered into the passport book after it is issued.

https://www.us-passport-service-gui...-travel-history-according-to-my-passport.html

 

[SirDuff]

When I lived in the US, I was able to pull up all my exits/entries. However, I had an I94 (I was there on a "NAFTA visa"), so perhaps different than US citizens. And, of course, I no longer have the link to where I could look, I'm afraid.

 

[sam_gordon]

When I lived in the US, I was able to pull up all my exits/entries. However, I had an I94 (I was there on a "NAFTA visa"), so perhaps different than US citizens. And, of course, I no longer have the link to where I could look, I'm afraid.

My google search brought up information that those with I94s could do a search, but apparently not citizens.

 

[LuvOrlando]

Very valuable in the black market, I'd dig through all boxes very fast and report it ASAP if it doesn't show up.

 

[AppleDumpling]

My sibling can't find a passport. Still unpacking boxes from a move, so it COULD show up, but all obvious places have been double checked.

There is a possibility, someone took the passport and tried to use it (long ugly story).

Is there a way to check travel history of ones passport? It could still show up, so hate to order new one, but also trying to find out if this possible situation did happen.

If you suspect it was stolen, you should report it right away. Better to pay for a new passport, than to risk issues with identity theft.

 

[TLSnell1981]

We store out important documents such as a passport in a safe. I have one particular place for them when we travel. Losing our passports would be a nightmare. IMO

ITA with other posters...I wouldn't dally. I'd report it missing if you can't find it quickly.

 

[bcla]

Very valuable in the black market, I'd dig through all boxes very fast and report it ASAP if it doesn't show up.

Not sure that it's as valuable any more - at least not as a travel document. They're a lot more secure than they were in the day that it was a photo glued to the page and then stamped together with an embosser where it's supposed to match. There are also electronic databases that will mark whether or not a passport has been declared lost/stolen as well as very difficult to use one with fake information since everything would need to match.

I do remember a few fictional scenes where passport fraud was discussed. One was The Killing Fields where they're trying to get out Dith Pran by altering a UK passport with his photo and then erasing out part of his name. Only the photo (which they processed themselves without fixer) fades by the time they're trying to use it. Or China Beach where one character (a military deserter) offers to buy someone's (a woman's strangely enough) passport that he can then alter to try and get home to the United States.

But today? It's near impossible to fake the photo. Even in the days when a separate photo was buried under an adhesive sheet it would have been extremely difficult.

 

[LuvOrlando]

Not sure that it's as valuable any more - at least not as a travel document. They're a lot more secure than they were in the day that it was a photo glued to the page and then stamped together with an embosser where it's supposed to match. There are also electronic databases that will mark whether or not a passport has been declared lost/stolen as well as very difficult to use one with fake information since everything would need to match.

I do remember a few fictional scenes where passport fraud was discussed. One was The Killing Fields where they're trying to get out Dith Pran by altering a UK passport with his photo and then erasing out part of his name. Only the photo (which they processed themselves without fixer) fades by the time they're trying to use it. Or China Beach where one character (a military deserter) offers to buy someone's (a woman's strangely enough) passport that he can then alter to try and get home to the United States.

But today? It's near impossible to fake the photo. Even in the days when a separate photo was buried under an adhesive sheet it would have been extremely difficult.

But would someone have to go that far to fake it? I would imagine a person could use one that is just sort of similar for employment and other such things, it's true airports are tight but I wouldn't count on everything being as cautious & imagine there are still underhanded people who would buy them. I wouldn't risk it if mine went lost, someone tried to fake being me for medical care with a car registration that was lost once, I found out because I was in the system and the ER Dr called my house. In my experience, people are wackadoodles.

 

[bcla]

But would someone have to go that far to fake it? I would imagine a person could use one that is just sort of similar for employment and other such things, it's true airports are tight but I wouldn't count on everything being as cautious & imagine there are still underhanded people who would buy them. I wouldn't risk it if mine went lost, someone tried to fake being me for medical care with a car registration that was lost once, I found out because I was in the system and the ER Dr called my house. In my experience, people are wackadoodles.

Depends. An I-9 verification isn't necessarily filed with anyone; the only legal requirement is that it be kept on file by the employer. But if E-Verify is used, then they will transmit all the information including the ID numbers, which would set off massive flags if it's reported stolen. About all I can think of is someone using one as ID to buy alcohol, and that's not all that serious compared to identify theft that might affect someone's credit. But that would require knowing the SSN.

 

[_19disnA]

If you think it is lost (or stolen) you should report it right away. What they do in their system to prevent unauthorized use isn't your issue once you let them know you can't find it. Even if their online database stores information about prior travel, not sure they will provide that to you. I agree as someone else mentioned if passport data is stored in some national database it is much more difficult to forge that document then years ago when there was only the passport book. I would assume every passport now has a unique barcode/serial # in their database in addition to various security features in the actual passport. Even if someone is good at forging the passport, they wouldn't have the ability to update the national database.

Can't speak to how things work in other countries, but in the US, a passport would mostly be used by someone traveling internationally.