Illegal aliens residing in the United States commit the majority of passport application fraud, hoping to return to their homeland and then re-enter this country without fear of deportation. Many criminals obtain fraudulent US passports so they can create new identities to assist them in their illegal activities and to facilitate unrestricted international travel. Indications that a passport may have been altered include a stiff or inflexible photograph area, unrounded corners on the photograph itself, razor cuts in the plastic laminate around the photograph, or significant creases in the laminate. Discrepancies in identification or questions of nationality may indicate a passport was obtained through fraudulent application. To combat the problem of passports obtained by fraudulent application, alteration, or counterfeiting, the Diplomatic Security Service of the US Department of State employs approximately 750 special agents in 22 offices across the United States and in more than 133 American embassies and consulates around the world. Notes