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Fraud Warning
 

Visa applicants are advised to be cautious in all dealings with companies that claim to offer any assistance in obtaining U.S. visas.  There are many websites which attempt to mislead customers and members of the public into thinking they are official U.S. government websites. Many may have a U.S. flag or picture of an official U.S. Government building or famous U.S. person to mislead you into believing that the website is sponsored by the U.S. Government, when they are not. They may attempt to require you to pay for services such as forms and information about immigration procedures, which are otherwise free on the Department of State Visa Services Website, or overseas through the Embassy Consular Section Websites. Additionally, they may require you to pay for services you will not receive by contacting you by email to take advantage of their false offer to get a U.S. Visa.

If you are seeking a U.S. visa or service, we strongly recommend that you read the Department of State's fraud warning on imposter or fraudulent websites, emails and advertisements before proceeding.

DV Lottery

If you have received an email notifying you that your application for the Diversity Visa Program has been successful and that in order to proceed with your application you are required to send money to a named individual at the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad, you are a victim of a scam.    

Successful DV applicants are notified by the Department of State, Kentucky Consular Center (KCC) by letter, NOT email and are provided instructions on how to proceed to the next step in the process. The KCC will not ask you to send money to them or to the Embassy in Islamabad or any other U.S. Embassy by mail or by services such as Western Union.

For those of you who have applied for DV-2012 official notification of selection will be made on line through the Entry Status Check which will be available from May 1, 2011 on the E-DV website at http://www.dvlottery.state.gov

Remember, successful DV applicants are notified by the Department of State, Kentucky Consular Center (KCC). No other organization or private company is authorized by the Department of State to notify DV applicants of their winning entry, or the next steps in the processing of applying for their visa.

Internet Scams & Fraud

  • DV fraud logo

Homeland Security Blog

  • DHS Logo Fraudsters will frequently e-mail potential victims posing as State
    Department or other government officials with requests to wire or transfer
    money online as part of a “processing fee.”

    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 ends with “.com”, “.org” or “.net” and not with “.gov” should be
    considered suspect.

    Learn more at the official blog of DHS/USCIS