Diversity Visa 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-2013 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 http://www.dvlottery.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.
Visa Related Fraud Information - Refer to these frequently asked questions.
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 Lottery website: | http://www.dvlottery.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 |
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 http://www.dvlottery.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 http://www.dvlottery.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 http://www.dvlottery.state.gov or instructions on http://travel.state.gov for official information about the DV process.