FRAUD WARNING

US Government strongly advises to be cautious.

Fraudulent websites are posing as official U.S. government sites. Some companies posing as the U.S. government have sought money in order to "complete" DV entry forms. These websites are designed to appear official, and often have images of the U.S. flag, U.S. Capitol, White House, or Statue of Liberty. What these websites and emails are missing is the “.gov” suffix on their addresses. Remember that anything that does not end with “.gov” should be considered suspect.

The Department of State does NOT notify successful DV applicants by letter, email or phone. Entrants can check the status of their entries, by returning to the website at www.dvlottery.state.gov to find out if their entry was or was not selected.

The U.S. government will never ask you to send payment in advance by check, money order, or wire transfer. Only you pay if you request someone to help you fill out application on line in your name. Remember that fees for the DV application process are paid to the U.S. Embassy or consulate cashier at the time of your scheduled appointment.

Some of these fraudulent organizations may require payment for immigration and visa services. If payment is made to a non-governmental source, this payment is not received by the U.S. government and does not apply toward visa processing. Sometimes these costs are for information or forms that are otherwise available for free on official U.S. government websites. Additionally, these imposter websites and emails cannot provide the services they advertise and for which they require payment. For example, many fraudulent emails promise U.S. visas or “green cards” in return for a large fee. These non-governmental, unofficial organizations are not able to provide these services. These services can only be obtained from official U.S. government entities, such as the Department of State, a U.S. embassy or consulate, or the Department of Homeland Security. Finally, be wary of providing any personal information through these fraudulent websites and emails, since such action that could result in identity fraud or theft. Visa applicants are strongly advised to be cautious in all dealings with non-governmental companies that claim to offer any assistance in obtaining U.S. visas.

There is no charge to download and complete the Electronic Diversity Visa Entry Form. To learn more, see the Department of State Warning and the Federal Trade Commission Warning.