By Volt Contreras
Inquirer
Last updated 06:12pm (Mla time) 10/10/2006
IT IS APPARENTLY the most coveted raffle prize for anyone harboring the American Dream. But unfortunately for Filipinos, they have long been disqualified from this annual draw.
The US Embassy in Manila on Tuesday warned of scam artists out to lure Filipinos with false hopes of winning the 2007 US Diversity Visa Lottery.
"While Filipino citizens born in the Philippines are not eligible for this program, the US Embassy is concerned that some innocent citizens may fall prey to criminals who try to make money by claiming they can help you win an immigrant visa in the DV lottery," the mission said in a statement.
Under the DV program, 50,000 US immigrant visas are issued each year to people who come from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States.
Citizens from countries that have sent more than 50,000 immigrants to the United States in the past five years are considered out of the selection.
The US Department of State's National Visa Center holds the lottery every year, choosing "winners" randomly from all qualified entries.
Those selected will also have the opportunity to apply for permanent residence which, if granted, would authorize them to live and work permanently in the United States. They will also be allowed to bring their spouses and any unmarried children under the age of 21 to the United States.
The lottery process for the 2007 program has officially started -- and this is that time of the year when "fraud schemes resurface" targeting aspiring immigrants, the embassy said.
"If you receive an e-mail, phone call, or letter saying you have won the US Diversity Visa (DV) Lottery, the US Embassy urges you to be cautious. Do not pay any money to individuals claiming they can help you get a diversity visa," it said.
Victims are usually told that they have won a visa and that they must send a "clearance/acceptance fee" in order to claim the visa.
"Sadly, the only `winner' is the criminal who takes your money," the embassy said. "That's the lesson that some hopeful immigrants throughout the world are learning the hard way as a result of fraud schemes that resurface every year."
The most common racket involves the use of "official-looking e-mails and web sites designed to copy the US State Department web site or e-mail communications," it said.
(The real sites to consult on US immigration or visa matters are http://philippines.usembassy.gov/, www.travel.state.gov, and www.unitedstatesvisas.gov.)
The victims would then receive an e-mail congratulating them on winning the DV Lottery and giving them directions on how to pay the "fees."
"Do not trust someone who offers or guarantees -- for a fee -- a diversity visa or any other type of US benefit," the embassy warned.
Copyright 2006 Inquirer. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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