A series of alarming incidents has seen American travellers detained and denied entry at international airports after discovering their passports had been invalidated without their knowledge.
Traumatising Ordeal in Thailand
Parker Anderson issued a stark warning on TikTok after a traumatic experience. On December 28, he and his girlfriend flew from Miami to Bangkok via Doha. Upon arrival, Thai immigration officials informed him his passport had been flagged by Interpol as lost or stolen.
Anderson was detained and told he could not enter the country, forced to wait until he could be returned to the United States. He emphasised that he had never reported the document missing, a process which requires personal details like a Social Security Number. He had used the same passport for six international flight bookings and two previous trips without issue.
"The American system is failing you in a way you don't even know about," Anderson stated. He criticised airline security, questioning why carriers do not check passport validity before international departure if they are responsible for passenger safety.
An Identical Mystery in Rome
Another traveller, named Marcy, faced an identical situation last month flying from New York to Rome. She passed through JFK Airport without problem, but was stopped on landing in Italy and told of an Interpol alert.
Fortunately, Marcy had her birth certificate and, after swearing an oath at the U.S. Embassy in Rome, was issued an emergency passport for a $165 fee. Embassy staff told her someone had reported her passport lost or stolen in November—a report she did not make.
"The fact that a complete stranger can void and cancel my passport and I not be notified is absolutely insane," she said. The episode has cost her over $300 in total for replacement documents.
No Answers and a Growing Fear
Both individuals have spent hours contacting various U.S. government departments but have received no explanation for how their passports were wrongly reported. Anderson described the experience as financially damaging and emotionally scarring.
His primary concern is for more vulnerable travellers. "Someone a lot more vulnerable could go somewhere a lot scarier by themselves and be stuck in a situation you cannot come home from," he warned.
The U.S. Department of State's process for reporting a passport lost or stolen involves submitting a form online, by mail, or in person with detailed personal information. How these erroneous reports were filed remains a mystery, raising fears of administrative error or potential identity theft.
Viewers of the viral videos have expressed horror, with many noting it is the third such story they have seen recently. The incidents highlight a critical flaw where a passport can be cancelled without the holder's knowledge, with no system to alert them or easily verify their passport's status before costly international travel.
