Ask ISSP Column

Question: I recently submitted my application for the DV 2008 Diversity Lottery for Permanent Residence online. A few days ago, I received an e-mail from what appears to be the Department of State. It said that I had won and should submit some further personal information via e-mail and wire them the filing fees to continue processing it. Is this all right?

Answer: NO! If you decide to apply for the Diversity Lottery green card, please be aware that there could be scam artists out there who try to lure you into releasing personal information or sending money in the hopes that you may have won the lottery. According to Immigration attorneys Aronson & Associates PA, all DV Lottery applicants should exercise caution in this regard:

• "The application period remains open until noon on Sunday, December 3, 2006. The US Department of State (DOS) has not yet begun to notify any of the lucky winners. Unfortunately, as has happened in years past, many aspiring immigrants have already begun to receive scam emails that pretend to notify the recipient of the email that they have supposedly won the lottery.
• Please be on the lookout for scam lottery emails, and please do not believe any email that claims you are supposed to wire money to DOS. That is not true. The real DV Lottery run by DOS will only notify winners by regular US mail. And real winners will not be told to pay the required DOS filing fees up front."

The DV Lottery program remains open and available through the DOS website http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/types/types_1318.html. Information about scams and how to avoid them is also discussed there. Remember also that scam communications may claim to come from U.S. Department of State when in fact they do not.