ARLINGTON, Va. (7News) — Looking to get your REAL ID? Well, time is running out. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will start enforcing on May 7.

As the deadline nears, scammers are preying on this sense of urgency with fraudulent websites, phishing emails/texts, and social media posts.

Websites have popped up to solicit people’s information, texts and emails have been sent to people saying things like "send us $35 and we’ll speed up the process," and social media posts have targeted people with links in hopes of getting personal and financial information.

“If someone feels like their identity was stolen, they can go to a couple of websites,” said Brian Ledbetter, Senior Security Strategist with Guide Point Security. “With identitytheft.gov, it will start the process of creating a recovery plan for the person who feels like their identity was stolen. They should also freeze their credit in the process to ensure no new lines of credit are open under their name.”

You’ll also want to file a report with the Federal Trade Commission so investigators can look into it.

RELATED | Scammers target REAL ID seekers with fake emails as deadline looms

If you’ve waited too long to get your REAL ID but don’t have to catch a flight, the good news is you can get one at any time. Walk-ins are welcome at all locations.

Virginians can also get in line virtually on the website to reserve an e-ticket, hold their place in line for same-day service.

Each office page also includes a view wait time option so you can see how long it takes for a specific service each day.

There’s been a rush with Virginia DMV reporting REAL IDs account for 61% of all active licenses. About 166,816 REAL IDs were issued in April of 2025, which is up 60% compared to March of 2025.