Have you or someone you know recently received an e-mail claiming you’ve won the Green Card lottery and asking you to send or wire money? Don’t fall for it – the sender is trying to steal your money! Note: There is no cost to register for the DV Program.
The State Department Web site for the 2018 Diversity Visa program (DV-2018) is now open and the entry submission period for DV-2018 is from 12:00PM EDT (GMT -4) on October 4, 2016 to 12:00PM EST (GMT -5) on November 7, 2016.
The entry form will only be available for submission during this period and this period only. Entries will NOT be accepted through the U.S. Postal Service.
The Diversity Immigrant Visa Program (DV Program) makes up to 50,000 immigrant visas available annually, drawn from random selection among all entries to individuals who are from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States.
Most lottery winners reside outside the United States and immigrate through consular processing and issuance of an immigrant visa.
DV-2018 Translations (unofficial)
| Bulgarian/Български | Italian/Italiano | Japanese/日本語 |
| Khmer (Cambodian)/ខ្មែរ | Polish/Polski | Romanian/Românã |
| Russian/русский | Tamil/தமிழ் | Turkish/Türkçe |
| Ukrainian/Українською мовою | Uzbek/O’zbekcha |
After you submit a complete entry, you will see a confirmation screen containing your name and a unique confirmation number. Print this confirmation screen for your records. It is extremely important that you retain your confirmation number. It is the only way you can check the status of your entry, and you will need it to obtain further instructions or schedule an interview for a visa if you are selected.
There is no cost to register for the DV Program. You are strongly encouraged to complete the entry form yourself, without a “Visa Consultant,” “Visa Agent,” or other facilitator who offers to help. If somebody else helps you, you should be present when your entry is prepared so that you can provide the correct answers to the questions and retain the confirmation page and your unique confirmation number.
Individuals have contacted U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) about fraudulent e-mails and letters saying they have been selected in the Diversity Visa program. The scammers pose as the U.S. government in an attempt to get money from people hoping to get a visa.
U.S. Department of State runs the Diversity Visa Program and has excellent information on how to protect yourself against these scammers. To educate yourself about the Diversity Visa program visit the Department of State website. For information on avoiding other types of immigration scams, visit the Don’t be a Victim webpage.
One particularly common fraud email asks recipients to wire $879 per applicant/family member via Western Union to an individual (the name varies) in London, United Kingdom. The fraudsters use a variety of street addresses in London. Those seen often include: 73 Queens Avenue, London, N20 0JB or 30 Leicester Square, London WC2H 7LA or 24 Grosvenor Square, London W1A 1AE (the address of the US Embassy in London). They have also varied the amount requested per victim - and are likely to continue to do so. Most commonly they’ve requested $879, $819 and $880.
The fraudsters also continually vary the email address they use, each chosen to impersonate the U.S. State Department. We have seen addresses ending in @kccdv.org, @greencard-org.com, @usafis-org.com, @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.
How to Report Fraudulent Emails
If you receive this type of email, do NOT respond to the sender. Forward any fraud email requesting you wire money via Western Union to spoof@westernunion.com or report it by calling 1-800-448-1492. Also report any fraud emails to the Internet Crime Complaint Center and the Federal Trade Commission online or by calling 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357).
Red Flags and General Traits of Fraud Emails
Fraudsters 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 e-mails you claiming that you have won the Diversity Visa (DV) lottery or been selected for a Green Card. The Department of State does NOT notify successful DV applicants by letter or email.
These fraudulent e-mails are designed to steal money from unsuspecting victims. The senders often use phony e-mail addresses and logos designed to make them look more like official government correspondence. One easy way to tell that an email is a fraud is that it does not end with a “.gov”.
For more information on this type of fraud, please see the Department of State’s fraud warning and the Federal Trade Commission’s consumer alert on the matter.
For more information about the Diversity Visa Program, see https://www.dvlottery.state.gov/ and review the Department of State’s Travel.State.Gov DV Instructions webpage.