Program Scammers Sending Fraudulent Emails and Letters
The Department of State, Office of Visa Services, advises the public of a notable increase in fraudulent emails and letters sent to Diversity Visa (DV) program (Visa Lottery) applicants. The scammers behind these fraudulent emails and letters are posing as the U.S. government in an attempt to extract payment from DV applicants. All applicants should be familiar with information about DV scams provided by the Federal Trade Commission. Applicants are encouraged to review the rules and procedures for the DV program so that you know what to expect, when to expect it, and from whom.
While DV applicants may receive an email from the U.S. government reminding them to check their status online through DV Entrant Status Check, they will not receive a notification letter or email informing them that they are a successful DV entrant. Applicants can only find out if they were selected to continue with DV processing by checking their status online through the DV Entrant Status Check at https://dvprogram.state.gov.
Finally, remember that fees for the DV application process are paid to the U.S. Embassy or consulate cashier at the time of your scheduled appointment. The U.S. government will never ask you to send payment in advance by check, money order, or wire transfer.
Anti-Fraud Tips for Applicants
When entering the U.S. Diversity Visa Lottery, the most basic way to ensure you are not scammed or your entry is not disqualified is to read and follow the instructions at the Diversity Visa Program page on travel.state.gov. Just as important is to be honest! Entering fake information or submitting fake documents may disqualify your entry or even keep you from ever going to the United States.
If at all possible, fill out the form yourself. If you need help, make sure the person helping you is entering your true information. Avoid visa consultants who offer to improve your chances by adding false information to your application. False information can disqualify you. Also avoid visa consultants who charge money because they claim they can improve your chances of winning. We do NOT work with consultants and they CANNOT improve your chances of being selected.
When entering, use your own e-mail address and make sure you keep the entry confirmation number. You will need the entry confirmation number to check the results to see if you have been selected. If someone is helping you to apply, make sure they give you the entry confirmation number. A free email account can be set up from a computer or smartphone if you don’t have one.
Only submit one entry per eligible person. If you are entered more than once, you will be disqualified. Make sure your photo was taken in the last six months. Photos more than six months old will be disqualified.
If you are selected to apply for a visa, do not add any person who is not legally your spouse or child to your visa application. Doing so may disqualify you and may keep you from ever going to the United States. If you are selected and have been pressured by a visa consultant to add people to your application who are not your legal family members, immediately inform the Consular Officer at your interview.
Visa Related Fraud Information - Refer to these frequently asked questions.
Internet sites ending in the ".gov" top-level domain suffix are official government websites. To link directly to the more than 200 U.S. Embassy and Consulate websites, visit www.usembassy.gov. Visa information on official U.S. government websites ending in “.gov” is official and correct. Official U.S. government email addresses also end in “.gov,” and any visa-related correspondence coming from an address that does not end with “.gov” should be considered suspect.
The main U.S. government websites containing official visa and immigration information, including free information and forms, are:
| U.S. Embassy and Consulate websites: | http://www.usembassy.gov/ |
| Department of State, Consular Affairs travel website: | http://travel.state.gov |
| Department of State, Diversity Visa Program website: | https://dvprogram.state.gov |
| Department of Homeland Security (DHS): | http://www.dhs.gov |
| DHS, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services: | http://www.uscis.gov |
| DHS, U.S. Customs and Border Protection: | http://www.cbp.gov |
| DHS, Immigration and Customs Enforcement: | http://www.ice.gov |
| Department of Labor: | http://www.doleta.gov |
Many other non-governmental websites (e.g., addresses ending with ".com," ".org" or ".net") provide legitimate and useful immigration and visa-related information and services. Regardless of the content of other websites, the Department of State does not endorse, recommend, or sponsor any information or material shown on these other websites. The information provided may not be correct or up-to-date, so should always be verified by consulting an official U.S. government source. Visa applicants are advised to be cautious in all dealings with companies that claim to offer any assistance in obtaining U.S. visas.
The only official information about the DV program is found on U.S. government websites ending in “.gov,” such as http://travel.state.gov or https://dvprogram.state.gov. The only official way to apply for the DV program is directly through the official U.S. Department of State website during the specified and limited registration period.
DV program entrants must check their status of their DV lottery entry online at https://dvprogram.state.gov to find out if they were selected or not. The U.S. Department of State Kentucky Consular Center does not mail or email notifications to DV entrants informing them of their winning entries.
For more information about the Diversity Visas and the process, review the Department of State, Diversity Visa Program webpage.
No other organization or private company is authorized to notify DV applicants of their winning entries, or the next steps in the process. Imposters frequently contact DV applicants to extract money or personal information through websites, emails, and letters. Entrants should only refer to the online status check at https://dvprogram.state.gov or instructions on the Diversity Visa Program webpage for official information about the DV process.
Some websites and emails try to mislead customers and members of the public into thinking they are official U.S. government websites. These websites are designed to appear official, and often have images of the U.S. flag, U.S. Capitol, White House, or Statue of Liberty. What these websites and emails are missing is the “.gov” suffix on their addresses. Remember that anything that does not end with “.gov” should be considered suspect.
Some of these fraudulent organizations may require payment for immigration and visa services. If payment is made to a non-governmental source, this payment is not received by the U.S. government and does not apply toward visa processing. Sometimes these costs are for information or forms that are otherwise available for free on official U.S. government websites. Additionally, these imposter websites and emails cannot provide the services they advertise and for which they require payment. For example, many fraudulent emails promise U.S. visas or “green cards” in return for a large fee. These non-governmental, unofficial organizations are not able to provide these services. These services can only be obtained from official U.S. government entities, such as the Department of State, a U.S. embassy or consulate, or the Department of Homeland Security. Finally, be wary of providing any personal information through these fraudulent websites and emails, since such action that could result in identity fraud or theft. Visa applicants are strongly advised to be cautious in all dealings with non-governmental companies that claim to offer any assistance in obtaining U.S. visas.
The only official information about the DV program is found on U.S. government websites ending in “.gov,” such as http://travel.state.gov or https://dvprogram.state.gov. The only official way to apply for the DV program is directly through the official U.S. Department of State website during the specified and limited registration period.
DV program entrants must check their status of their DV lottery entry online at https://dvprogram.state.gov to find out if they were selected or not. The U.S. Department of State Kentucky Consular Center does not mail or email notifications to DV entrants informing them of their winning entries.
For more information about the Diversity Visas and the process, review the Department of State, Diversity Visa Program webpage.
No other organization or private company is authorized to notify DV applicants of their winning entries, or the next steps in the process. Imposters frequently contact DV applicants to extract money or personal information through websites, emails, and letters. Entrants should only refer to the online status check at https://dvprogram.state.gov or instructions on the Diversity Visa Program webpage for official information about the DV process.
For more information about international scams involving internet dating, inheritance, work permits, overpayment, and money-laundering, please visit our International Financial Scams page.
If you wish to file a complaint about internet fraud, please see visit econsumer.gov, which is a joint effort of consumer protection agencies from 17 nations, hosted by the Federal Trade Commission. You can also visit the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) website. To file a complaint about unsolicited email, contact the Department of Justice.
