How to protect yourself from fraudsters when participating in the Green Card Lottery

From October 3 to November 6 The US Department of State Consular Bureau conducts Green Card Lottery: Random winners will receive a US residence permit in 2020.

Understanding the process will help you stop the scammers and prevent you from making money.

How to participate in the Diversity Visa lottery?

• You can participate in the Diversity Visa 1 lottery once a year. On the 2020 Green Card Lottery, you must complete and submit a questionnaire from October 3 to November 6 2018.
• Fill out the form for participation in the lottery is only needed on the website of the State Department dvlottery.state.gov, Where are you:
  • answer questions;
  • Give information about yourself, your spouse and your children under the age of 21;
  • send your digital photos.
• Participation in the Diversity Visa lottery free.

If you register in the Diversity Visa lottery more than once a year, your details will not be taken into account. Your spouse can register separately if he or she is eligible.

What happens after I register in the Diversity Visa lottery?

After registering with the lottery, the State Department gives you a confirmation number. Keep it in a safe place. On the first Monday of May each year, the computer randomly selects 50 thousands of winners.

For verification, you must enter on dvlottery.state.gov your confirmation number, issued after registering in the lottery. If you see a letter with a barcode and your data on the page that opened, you won!

You can find out your status only on dvlottery.state.gov . The State Department will not send you a letter or email about your winnings. If you see such a message, it is a scam.

In the process of paperwork you will have to pay a fee. You only pay when you go to an embassy or US consulate for an interview. The US government will never ask you to send money in advance by check, money order, or bank transfer.

What you need to know about fraud?

Scammers try to deceive people who participate in the Diversity Visa lottery. They can:

• charge money to help you register;
• promise to increase your chances of winning the lottery;
• send you a message that you won and ask for money.

If you know how the Diversity Visa lottery works, fraudsters will not earn you money.

What to do if you discovered fraud?

If you suspect fraud, please report it to the Federal Trade Commission:

• Call: 1-877-382-4357.
• Go to ftc.gov/complaint .

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