Santo Domingo.- A fraudulent website offering the processing of the E-ticket, a digital form required by the Dominican Republic for entry or exit, has managed to position itself prominently on the web, sometimes appearing as the top search result on Google. This has led to confusion and scams, particularly targeting tourists.

A Mexican citizen intending to visit the Dominican Republic soon reported falling victim to this scam. She entered her personal information and paid $36 (equivalent to RD$2,077) on a site that falsely appeared legitimate. The E-ticket process is actually free for both Dominicans and foreigners through the official portal.

According to Liliana Padilla, the victim, the fraudulent website, “eticket.portalmigracion.com,” closely mimics the appearance of the real site operated by the General Directorate of Migration (DGM). The legitimate link is https://eticket.migracion.gob.do.

The fake site uses similar colors, fonts, and offers detailed information and a step-by-step guide for obtaining the QR code, misleading users. Padilla realized the deception only after mentioning her completed process and payment to a Dominican acquaintance.

“If you are traveling to the Dominican Republic, be aware: I was scammed by a website when filling out an E-ticket. They charged me $36, and it’s a free procedure,” Padilla warned on her Twitter account.

Differences between the fake and real pages include their logos. The DGM’s official logo features the Dominican flag’s shield with the words “E-TICKET” and “Dominican Republic.” The fraudulent site displays a blurred flag with the words “E-TICKET” and “electronic e-ticket portal.” Additionally, the scam site shows an image of a phone with a QR code, while the official site shows travelers filling out forms on a phone.

This is not the first instance of fake sites impersonating the E-ticket portal. However, authorities have yet to disclose any protection mechanisms beyond advising users to ensure they complete the process on the correct website.