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Here's an interesting United States "official" green card VISA lottery scam. The email claims that the "winner" won a United States green card... through a "email drawing". The email starts with "We wish to inform you that you are among the lucky selected winners of the US Green Card Email ballot lottery program of the..."
It's not to hard to see through this scam. First, the United States does not conduct "promotions" to draw participants to it's "green card lottery" or use random drawings of email addresses collected from poor or developing countries. There are many times more applicants than desired! Secondly, why on earth would the United States government hold a lottery in a foreign country? If any country or organization were to hold a lottery, they certainly wouldn't use random email addresses as the basis for the contestants. That would simply be pointless. The letter claims: "The aims and objectives of the program is to give free visas to citizens of developing countries around the world who wishes to travel to U.S and start a new life and work. " Well, that's simply wrong! We the citizens of the US and our government do NOT believe that foreigners have any right to live in the U.S., no more than we would have any right to be in another country. Finally, you will notice it is signed, "Secretary-General-US-Consulate-Kentucky"/ Last time we looked, Kentucky was still a state, not a sovereign country, and the capital of the United States is still in Washington, DC!
Each year, the United States State Department conducts a lottery through its DV program to distribute applications for 50,000 immigrant visas. Winners of the lottery have a chance to apply for an immigrant visa, which can be used to enter the U. S. Winners are selected randomly, and there is no fee to enter the lottery. It is easy to enter online, and generally, there is no reason to pay a company to make the submission for you! See this page for information about the proper legal program!
There are two versions of the same scam shown below. We have highlighted some of the clues that this is a scam in the second example below:
From: US Department of State < official-green-card.gov@massachusetts.usa.com >
To: official-green-card.gov@massachusetts.usa.com
Sent: Tuesday, February 5, 2008 11:43:52 AM
Subject: Green Card official notification
Among the lucky selected winners
Tuesday, February 5, 2008 1:16 PM
From:
"US Department of State" < official-greencard.gov@usa.com >
To: official-greencard.gov@usa.com
The Official U.S Green Card Lottery Program
United States Department of State, National Visa Center
32 Rochester Ave, Portsmouth , NH 03801-2909
Case Number: WAC2033822156
Preferences Categories: DV DIVERSITY
Foreign State Chargeability: Asia-PacificDear winner,
We wish to inform you that you are among the lucky selected winners of the US Green Card Email ballot lottery program of the 2007/08 edition conducted on the 18th of December 2007. The lottery program was conducted under the terms of Section 203 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) Section 131 of the Immigration Act of 2006 (Pub.L.101-649) The aims and objectives of the program is to give free visas to citizens of developing countries around the world who wishes to travel to U.S and start a new life and work.
6.3 million Email addresses were randomly extracted during the 33-days extraction period that ran from (11.00 AM on November 8, 2007 until midnight, December, 11 2007) The Email addresses were assigned to different ticket numbers for representation for final selection, your Email adress attached to ticket N0 #56402 drew the lucky numbers which subsequently won you the Green Card.
Notification is through the selected winning Email addresses, approximately (625) selected winners had been notified through their selected winning Email addresses including you today (Tue 05-02-2008) Your visa duration is 10 years multiple entries to the U.S, it is renewable upon expiration and it permits you to travel to the U.S with your spouse.
The visas have been apportioned among the six geographic regions and our Green Card processing experts had been apportioned among the six geographic regions, selected winners living legally in the United States who wish to pursue their Green Card status should contact any of our regional offices where their winning details falls for information's on the requirements and procedures, all selected winners will need to act on their immigrant visa claim application quickly before the expiration of the visa claim deadline which is on the (02-03-2008)
Your Green Card winning details falls within our Asia/pacific region office and we have forwarded your winning details to our Asia/Pacific office for the processing of your Green Card Certificates with your Case Number for the issuance of your immigrant visa, therefore, FOR YOUR VISA APPLICATION FORM AND REQUIREMENTS contact our Asia/pacific office with the below contact details;
CONTACT PERSON: MR. GEORGE GRAHAM.
Address: Indra Tower Suite 105 , 75/6 Wireless Road Panthumwam Bangkok Thailand.
Tel: +66-835 619 209 +66-843 578 622
Fax: +66-2251 9977
Email: uscisg@oued.info
All the selected lucky winners and accompanying family members should obtain their immigrant visas through the U.S Embassy in their home countries or their nearest U.S Embassy, and they should go to the Embassy when directed with their Green Card processed acknowledgement Certificates and visa interview appointment letters for the issuance of their immigrant visas.
If it should be necessary to contact our Asia/Pacific office by telephone, you must always refer to your Case Number as they appear above. Your Case Number is clearly written in the upper left hand corner of your notification letter.
Processing Fee.
Single application-$750USD
Dual/Family application $1,250USD
The processing fee pays for the accuracy preparation of every document, Green card experts charges a nominal fee to cover administrative and processing costs incurred in conjunction with the careful processing of every document. The payment of the processing fee should be directed to any of our regional office where your winning details falls for the processing of your documents.
According to J.Stevenson Wilson, Author of Visa Lottery services Report, the total average fee charged by green card lottery services ($750USD) for one person, there is no correlation between the fee charged and the quality of services provided and its benefits.
Benefits.
All the selected lucky winners and accompanying family members will get the constant legal status of the U.S inhabitant, an opportunity of free country entrance and departure, the right to be working legally and getting American salary, Green Card holders also receive health, education, retirement, taxation, social security and other benefits.
Non-eligible countries.
Selected winners from the following countries are not eligible to make the claim of their visas. Mexico-Brazil-Canada-Haiti-Columbia-Elsalvador-Jamaica-Poland-Peru-Korea-Dominican Republic-Philippines-Vietnam-Taiwan-China- Russia-United-Kingdom (except Northern Ireland and its dependent countries)
Please read and follow all the enclosed instructions very carefully.
Do not reply back to this notification email (busy)
Sincerely yours,
Mrs, Grace Roberts,
Secretary General U.S Consulate Kentucky.
For details about the State Department's Diversity Visa lottery:
You also may call the State Department's Visa Services' Public Inquiries Branch at 202-663-1225. This number has recorded information with an option to speak with a visa specialist during normal business hours. Those overseas should contact the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.
The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop, and avoid them.
call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261.
The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft, and other fraud-related complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.