Is this a legit ESTA application? [duplicate]

I filled an ESTA application. Two days later I received the following email from info@estausa.org

Dear John Doe,

We kindly ask you to reconfirm your Gender – Male or Female?

Before we can finish processing your application, we kindly ask you to reconfirm your Passport Issuance Date, Expiration Date and Number.

Please open your passport and confirm below.

Passport Issuance Date:

Day:

Month:

Year:

Passport Expiration Date:

Day:

Month:

Year:

Passport Number: –

We will process your application once we receive your response.

Please let us know if you have any questions.

Regards,

Customer Service Team ESTA USA

www.estausa.org info@estausa.org

DISCLAIMER: This domain and website is operated by a private company not affiliated with any government agencies, consulates or embassies.

CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: Email communication is intended to be viewed only by the listed recipient(s). It may contain information that is privileged and confidential. Any dissemination, distribution or copying of this message is strictly prohibited without our prior written permission. If you are not an intended recipient, or if you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by return e-mail.

This email (and email address) feels very weird to me. I quickly found this post stating that there are fraud websites. Scrolling through my history, I realized that I used the website http://www.esta.us/ and not https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/. I seem to be the victim of a fraud.

I do not quite remember if I paid and what I paid when applying for this ESTA but I guess I paid something. I failed to see any payment on my personal bank account (via my bank website) though.

Am I the victim of a fraud (or legal but unreasonably expensive service)? What would you advise me to go from here?

Best Answer

To add to the other answer, ~~of course it is fake~~ (edit: see jpatokal's comment) this company may not be fake, but I would immediately cancel all business with them. They seem to act as an unneccessary (hence too expensive) intermediary, but a lot of things they do indicate either an unreliable company or a scam. There are just too many red flags:

You visited domain esta.us and received mail from estausa.org.
Read their terms and conditions:

ESTA.us specializes in the Visa Waiver Program and Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA)

specializes in instead of handles

ESTA.us cannot warrant the information. ESTA.us provides the text on this website for information purposes only.

So much for guarantees....

The Application Guide offered for sale on this website ....

So that is what they (also) do: they sell some info.
That does not necessarily exclude that they would handle ESTA applications, but then why don't they say anything about that?

And then this one from the privacy policy is a gem:

ESTA.us uses servers located in the United Kingdom.

Sure, for a supposedly US service/company...

There is much more on the site to show you you should be suspicious. They actually say that they just want your money on this page:

We specialize in processing, updating and verification of eVisa applications on behalf of travelers. We charge a processing fee of $ 37.00 per application. It is optional to use our professional service, and you have the choice of reviewing your own application without our help directly with the government at: https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov.