Sep 2011 , Vol. VI, No.1

Virginia Lottery Scammers Sending Fraudulent Emails and Letters

Authored by attorney Mara Mijal

The Department of State, Office of Visa Services, is advising the public of a notable increase in fraudulent emails and letters sent to Diversity Immigrant 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 visa lottery applicants.  Recently, we have seen reports of a variety of visa lottery scams.  Many of the fraudulent e-mails have elements, such as the Department of State seal, that make them look legitimate, but they are not.  The State Department has a DV fraud warning on its website and has changed the way that it communicates with those selected in the upcoming DV lottery in an effort to reduce visa lottery fraud.
 

Scammers 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.” You should never transfer money to anyone who emails you claiming that you have won the DV lottery or been selected for a green card.  The Department of State does not notify successful DV applicants by letter or email.  Instead, applicants must check their status online through the Department of State secure online site, http://www.dvlottery.state.gov.
 

One particularly common fraud email asks potential victims to wire $819 per applicant/family member via Western Union to an individual (the name varies) to an address in the United Kingdom.  These emails come from a variety of email addresses designed to impersonate the U.S. State Department. We have seen fraud email addresses ending in @usa-dv-gov.org, @diplomats.com, @usa.com, @usa-lottery-gov.org, @visa-gov-us.org, @post.com, @dv-state.com, and there are likely many more false addresses.
 

If a visa lottery applicant receives this type of email, he or she should not respond.  The government is asking that the recipient report it immediately to the Federal Trade Commission.  For more information about the Diversity Visa Program, who is eligible, and how to apply, you should visit the Department of State’s website or contact an attorney who specializes in immigration law.

Authored by attorneys, these articles are meant to bring awareness to these topics and are not intended to be used as legal advice.
For more information, contact Mike at 757-446-8626 or Bill Franczek at 757-446-8600.
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