Fraudsters hijack US visa lottery

Members of the Nigerian public were on Friday alerted to the sharp practices of fraudsters, who send false e-mails and text messages of people winning the Diversity Visa Lottery to the US in recent times.

This was made known at a news conference at the United States Information Service in Lagos by the vice-consul of the US Consulate General, Charity Boyette.

Boyette said, ‘‘Over the past two weeks, I have received several e-mails from fraudsters supposedly based in the United Kingdom congratulating false winners of the US DV lottery.”

Each year, many Nigerians are issued immigrant visas through the US visa lottery programme, which entitles them to apply for entry visas, which when once admitted, gives them permanent residency.”

Disclaiming ownership of the e-mail messages, Boyette said, “Once a person wins a DV visa lottery to the US, it is up to that person to sort out employment and accommodation issues in the US. Winners of the lottery are no longer notified by letter.”

Explaining that DV lottery winners were usually notified through the DV lottery web site, Boyette said, “Interested applicants should enter their name and scan their photograph on the web site. Winners of the DV 2012 lottery will also be notified through the same web site in May.

“Just go to our website and enter your confirmation number. If you have won the lottery, you will receive information as to how to proceed. We no longer send out any letter to individuals’ addresses,” she said.

She that victims were being asked to pay fees through the Western Union. “Please you do not need to send the money to the UK as the scam e-mail says to process your application. That is untrue; you can only pay for the DV lottery at the time of interview inside the consulate to the consulate cashier,” she said.

Posted: at 5-02-2011 03:10 PM (13 years ago) | Gistmaniac

Hey  some  one tell  me  how  this  lottery is  working?
So  if  one apply on  the  net  is  it  true  that  you  have  to  pay be4  you  be  approve?
im  getting  confuse  about  this  lottery, i  also  think some  white  pll  are  scammers in  this  business.

Posted: at 15-01-2012 02:42 PM (12 years ago) | Newbie