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CB Lottery Retailers Review of U.S. Department of State <states.dv.usasignusa.com>
U.S. Department of State <states.dv.usasignusa.com>

U.S. Department of State <states.dv.usasignusa.com> review: Green Card Lottery 53

K
Author of the review
11:44 am EST
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

Hi, I' m from Bulgaria

About two years ago I accidentally found a Russian website through which you can register for the green card lottery. I decided to try my luck and I register. Filled in a form with my name, from which country I am, what education I have and my home phone number. Then completely forgot about this site. Yesterday I received the following e-mail:
sender:
U.S. Department of State
Is the Diversity Visa FREE ?
No. There is a big confusion. Only the participation in the Diversity Visa Lottery was free but the winners must pay the visa processing fees.
The fee is used to process your visa related documents and verify your identity.
U.S. Department of State sent this message to MY NAME
Your registered name is included to show this message originated from U.S. Department of State. Congratulations, you've won !

Dear MY NAME,
Congratulations ! You are among those randomly selected and registered for further consideration in the diversity immigrant program. Selection guarantees that
you will receive a United States Permanent Resident Card(also known as Green Card or Diversity Visa) only if you follow the instructions for further processing.

Acceptance Date: Thursday 3rd of February 2011 01:24:00 PM

Winner Name: MY NAME

Country of Birth: Bulgaria

Phone Number: MY HOME NUMBER

Fees:

Type of Residence Card Status Amount (per person)
United States Permanent Resident Card Granted! - Waiting for payment of processing fee $875
Processing fees Included
Total $875

INSTRUCTIONS

Please read and follow all the instructions very carefully. With the Diversity Visa (also known as Green Card) you will enjoy all the advantages and benefits of a US permanent resident, including health and education benefits, and employment opportunities along with guidance in your new country, orientation sessions and programs to integrate into mainstream American society. Once received you can use it at any time you want to move in the United States or just travel. The visa must be renewed after 10 years.

Although you will have all the rights that a U.S. citizen has in the United States, without a relative or friend in the United States you may find the relocation difficult and expensive due the lack of experience in the American society. Therefore the U.S. Government helps you with the accommodation and offers you along with each visa Health Insurance (Freedom HSA Direct Individual Health insurance for 1 year), Dwelling(Apartment in any city you prefer, 1 bedroom for 3 months ), a guaranteed job(in the field that you are are currently qualified so you can start working even from the first week you arrive in the United States and get paid as U.S citizen. ) and education (for U.S. Students or Higher Education through EducationUSA. It includes transfer to a U.S college or Univeristy so you can continue your educational study. More details can be found at http://educationusa.state.gov/ .)

We remind you that only the visa processing fee ($875) is mandatory and the visa is guaranteed upon receiving the payment.

Accompanying family members(wife/husband, fiancee, brothers, sisters, children, cousins) may be included in the program and their visas will be provided at the same time with yours so you can travel/move together in the same time. However the fees must be paid per person and each member(e.g wife, brother, parents, children, cousin) must pay $875. There is no discount for children.

Visa Payment processing instructions
The fees must be paid using Western Union money transfer and will be processed by the U.S. embassy in the United Kingdom.
Western Union is a leading provider of International person-to-person money transfer. With more than 150 years experience and 245, 000 Agent locations in over 200 countries and territories, Western Union is recognized for sending money quickly, reliably, and safety.
You can send the payment in U.S. dollars or equivalent of your local currency.

Click on the following link to find the nearest Western Union agency and send the fees payment :
Find Western Union Agency
If you are unable to find a Western Union agency near your location, you may ask a relative or friend to pay the fee on your behalf.

After you find a Western Union agency you need to go with cash money, an identity card(e.g passport or national identity card) and send the payment to the U.S. embassy agent address in United Kingdom:

Name : Michael Smith
Address: 24 Grosvenor Square
London, W1A 2LQ
United Kingdom

The payment must be sent to the above U.S. embassy agent address in United Kingdom because the U.S. Government decided this based on the diplomatic relations with your country.

After you send the payment follow the next steps :
a) Email copy/scan of the Western Union receipt at state.dv.[protected]@usa.com
b) Email at state.dv.[protected]@usa.com with the following details (you can find them on the money transfer receipt):

1) Money Transfer Control Number (MTCN):
2) Exact sender's name on file with Western Union:
3) Exact sender's address on file with Western Union:
4) Exact receiver's name on file with Western Union:
5) Amount sent:

Then wait for the confirmation that the payment was received.

Within 72 hours, you will receive a confirmation via email with your Case Number/Confirmation Number and exact date and time(approx. 2 days) of the final interview. Upon successful interview you will receive your documents and travel information to move in the United States. Under no circumstances the interview won't deny your visa.

Important Notice!

The payment must be sent via Western Union no later than February 18, 2011. You are strongly encouraged not to wait until the last day to pay. Heavy demand may result in system delays.
Under no circumstances can diversity visas be issued or adjustments approved after this date, nor can family members obtain diversity visas to follow-to-join the principal applicant in the U.S. after this date.
The visa processing fee(US$ 875) is mandatory for each person and the U.S. Government doesn't offer any discount, loan or exception.
You have been selected winner of the Diversity Visa lottery so the visa is guaranteed upon receiving the payment fees on time.
A hard copy of this letter will be mailed to your postal address upon receiving the payment fees.
Please be advised that even through you are a winner of Diversity Visa your Case Number/Confirmation Number will be provided only after you send the payment confirmation of the fees. Please do not contact us to ask for the Case Number/Confirmation Number.

If it would be necessary to contact the U.S. Department of state YOU MUST ALWAYS REFER TO YOUR NAME. The email address is state.dv.[protected]@usa.com

CONFIDENTIALITY STATEMENT: AUTHORITIES: The information asked for on this form is requested pursuant to Section 222 of the Immigration and Nationality Act. Section 222(f) provides that the records of the Department of State and of diplomatic and consular offices of the United States pertaining to the issuance and refusal of visas or permits to enter the United States shall be considered confidential and shall be used only for the formulation, amendment, administration, or enforcement of the immigration, nationality, and other laws of the United States. Certified copies of such records may be made available to a court provided the court certifies that the information contained in such records is needed in a case pending before the court. PURPOSE: The U.S. Department of State uses the facts you provide on this form primarily to determine your assification and eligibility for a U.S. immigrant visa. Individuals who fail to submit this form or who do not provide all the requested information may be denied a U.S. immigrant visa. Although furnishing this information is voluntary, failure to provide this information may delay or prevent the processing of your case. ROUTINE USES: If you are issued an immigrant visa and are subsequently admitted to the United States as an immigrant, the Department of Homeland Security will use the information on this form to issue you a Permanent Resident Card, and, if you so indicate, the Social Security Administration will use the information to issue a social security number. The information provided may also be released to federal agencies for law enforcement, counterterrorism and homeland security purposes; to Congress and courts within their sphere of jurisdiction; and to other federal agencies who may need the information to administer or enforce U.S. laws.
***
I am not sure if this is for real or somebody is trying to trick me. Please, tell me what to do?

53 comments
Add a comment
M
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meghbb
, MY
Feb 12, 2011 12:54 am EST

please don't pay anything online! the DV lottery is onelly one times open in a years . now has been stoped untill for next 2013.
this is the reall webside for DB lottery>www.dvlottery.state.gov. you can see it all

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immigrationgucl
Dallas, US
Feb 11, 2011 11:07 pm EST

Here is another useful blog post with 5 additional tips for avoiding DV Lottery Card scams...This one specifically references the USAFIS scam Mohemed references.

http://www.immigrationgucl.com/blog/bid/59651/5-Tips-to-Avoid-DV-Lottery-Scams

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immigrationgucl
Dallas, US
Feb 11, 2011 9:38 pm EST

One of our clients received this email recently. This is a classic example of an Impostor/Fraudulent Email Scam taking money from innocent people with false offers to get a U.S. Visa.

Read this blog article for tips to avoid getting scammed when applying for the Diversity Visa (DV) Lottery.

http://www.immigrationgucl.com/blog/bid/59002/DV-Lottery-Scams-Tips-To-Avoid-Getting-Scammed

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mohamed osman mohamed
, AE
Feb 11, 2011 10:08 am EST

i am mohamed osman from egypt i recieved the same mail from the same website ...really iam in an big confusion now i want to ensure from this informations but i want to tell someyhing may be a useful for all ...first i recieved a mail from website called USAFIS informed me i won in american lottery and in the end of email :
What should you do now ?
Wait for the U.S Department of State to contact you and give you the information about visa processing and how to proceed further .

after that i recieved a mail from informed me also i won in american lottery and i should to sent a money for fees .sorry any one have a experience can help me .

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aboud42
, DZ
Feb 11, 2011 9:01 am EST

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 London, 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 this Embassy 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.

http://london.usembassy.gov/fraud.html

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aboud42
, DZ
Feb 11, 2011 8:49 am EST

Gambia: ‘Green Card Lottery email notifications are fraudulent’

By Gambia Correspondent – The American Embassy in Banjul has described as “fraudulent” notifications by email informing people that they are a Diversity Visa winner.

In a statement sent to this paper, the U.S. Embassy said it has been receiving many inquiries recently concerning these notifications by email, stating clearly that all of these emails are “fraudulent”.

“The Diversity Visa program is commonly known as the Green Card Lottery. In most cases, the individual receiving the email is requested to send a sum of money to the sender as a processing fee for the visa. The embassy would like to make clear that all of these emails are fraudulent, ” the statement said, adding that the Department of State does not notify successful Diversity Visa applicants by email.

“Some of the more common fraudulent emails are: usafis.co@post.com, gov.usa.states@usa.com, u.s.states.gov@usa.com and dv.state.gov@usa.com, ” the statement further stated.

For the 2011 DV Lottery, the statement went on, individuals who have won are only notified by the Department of State Kentucky Consular Center by letter.

“For the 2012 DV Lottery, individuals who have applied must check the status of their entries by returning to the website at http://www.dvlottery.state.gov on or after May 1, 2011 through June 30, 2012, ” it noted.

In another development, the U.S. Embassy also announced the opening of the Ambassador’s Special Self-Help Program for interested community-based organizations and villages.

This is a grass roots assistance program that allows U.S. embassies to respond to local requests for small projects that can have a big impact on communities, especially in rural areas.

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lolitalolita
, LV
Feb 10, 2011 10:02 pm EST

Je suis d’Alger et j'ai reçu le même e mail la date d'affichage de résultats de loterie officiel organisée par le gouvernement des états Unis c'est après le 01 mai 2011.

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Ara1984
, US
Feb 10, 2011 3:28 am EST
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

I have received the same e-mail. And I think it would be fraud. because of the email address which email has been sent by (states.dv.usa@usa.com), it is not the real website.

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Dr. A.U Sh.ah
, PK
Feb 09, 2011 5:21 pm EST
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

This seems to be scam trying to grab money from the applicants to US DV visa. I have also recieved same kind of mail but I believe it is a fraud and rather an attempt of cyber crime. The process of DV is well organized and no such letter is ever issued by US State deptt; to those winning the DV. Unfortunatley, this time the list doesn't include my country. I would request all freinds to be aware of such fraudlent attempts to snatch money in the names of DV Lotto Bumper Prize and other stupid things. To be eligible for any such inning the pre-requisite is to apply as per given procedure. Hence any proize through just e-mail address is ridculous. Dr. A Shah Pakistan.

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UK student
london, GB
Feb 05, 2011 1:47 am EST

hello i just received the same emailed just now and im trying to ask if its true or not?.i am form the philippines and presently a student here in Uk..

J
J
jejee
, LY
Feb 04, 2011 5:19 pm EST
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

hello,
I got the same message as the bulgarian lady & hayat..
are you telling me that this email is a fraud?shame cause i had my hope up there for a minute.
i also want to ask if you can get the american citizenship/green card or whatever of a sort from your sibling.
My sister is american who lives in america, we're from the same parents and i was wondering if it was possible to get it of her.
if so could you please kindly run me through the proceedure or give a useful website that may help.
thank you

H
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hayet am
, DZ
Feb 04, 2011 3:15 pm EST

sorry, you are a boy

H
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hayet am
, DZ
Feb 04, 2011 3:07 pm EST

hi, im hayet from algeria i did receive the same message that you(the girl from bulgaria) received can you confirm me if this is true or not