The Department of State is warning the public that there has been an increase in fraudulent emails and letters being sent to Diversity Visa applicants. Some of these scammers are posing as the U.S. government and attempting to have payments sent directly to them. Diversity applicants should review the, “INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE 2014 DIVERSITY IMMIGRANT VISA PROGRAM (DV-2014)” to know what to expect when applying for the program.
Note: 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.
For further details read the two Alerts:
U.S. Department of State Fraud Warning
– Scam Alert: Diversity Visa Program Scammers Sending Fraudulent Emails and Letters
FTC Consumer Alert
– How to Recognize a Diversity Visa Lottery Scam