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With the new change in the U.S. administration, people interested in immigration should be on the lookout for changing immigration regulations. With these changes, con artists are preying on visa-seekers by posing as U.S. government officials.
How the scam works
In a different version of this scam, you are planning to travel internationally and decide to apply for Global Entry. You end up on a website asking for your personal information and payment information. Once you complete the application, you receive a text message from an unknown number asking you to follow a link to another website. One traveler reported this to BBB Scam Tracker, "They attempted to charge $280 for a global entry renewal from a fake site and took down all sorts of passport credit card and driver license info."
In another version of this scam, you receive an email that looks like it’s from the U.S. Department of State. It looks official, and even includes the U.S. seal. The message declares that you’ve won the “green card lottery,” a U.S. government program, officially known as the Diversity Visa Program, which grants 50,000 visas a year to individuals from selected countries. According to the email, you now qualify for a United States visa. To get it, all you need to do is download a form, complete it, and reply with a photo and copy of your passport. Sounds easy right?
Think again! The email is a phishing scam and can open you up to identity theft. Sharing detailed personal information, such as your name, birth date, address, marital status, and phone number, as well as passport photos gives scammers all the information they need to impersonate you. Someone reported this experience to BBB Scam Tracker, "This organization pretended to be legal advisors and pretended to submit immigration forms for my aunt. She received an "approval" email from them which included false USCIS forms. They also asked her to pay $500 to continue the process however, they did get ahold of personal information for her and children."
Unfortunately, visa lottery scams aren’t limited to fake emails. Watch out for phony websites claiming to be affiliated with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services or Department of State. These sites are not official and often make false claims. For example, many offer to “assist” immigrants in applying for the Diversity Visa Program. They promise that if you hire them, your chances of receiving a visa improve. This claim is completely untrue. Often, the only way these services “improve” your chances is by including false information in your application. This practice will immediately disqualify you from the program.
How to avoid visa scams
- Understand the immigration agency's method of contact. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will never contact you via text message, or social media messaging app.
- Only apply for a visa through official websites. The only official place to get information about the Diversity Visa program and immigration visas is through U.S. government websites that end in “.gov,” such as state.gov or dvprogram.state.gov. You should apply directly for the Diversity Visa Program through the official U.S. Department of State website during the specified registration period, which varies from year to year.
- Verify payment methods. There are only three types of payment accepted by USCIS: credit or debit card, and check. Be wary of requests for gift cards, peer to peer payment apps, or cryptocurrency.
- Be wary of people who assist with immigration visa applications. The U.S. Department of State does not recommend you get outside assistance and makes it clear that outside help will NOT improve your chances of being selected or approved. If you must get assistance, be sure you only work with reputable persons and double-check that all the information they put on your application is 100% accurate.
- Check for lookalikes. A website may appear to be official by using patriotic images but proceed with caution if the website does not end with “.gov.” The same goes for emails. All official visa-related correspondence will come from a “.gov” email address.
- Get to know scammers’ tactics. The Department of State has posted a warning about fraud related to the Diversity Visa Program. Read up on scammers’ tricks to protect yourself from fraudulent offers.
For more information
Visit the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website for more tips on how to avoid immigration scams.
Learn more about government impostor scams.
Learn more about Diversity Visa scams on the Federal Trade Commission website.
If you’ve spotted a scam (whether or not you’ve lost money), report it to BBB.org/ScamTracker. Your report can help others avoid falling victim to scams. Find more information about scams and how to avoid them at BBB.org/AvoidScams.