Did they get the idea for that graphic from the GFI blog?
We’re wondering if the actors behind this one got the idea for the graphic on their email from the title of our November blog piece “In America the streets are lined with gold”
We blogged about green card lottery scams before. The scammers sell something that is free from the U.S. state department. Basically, they are businesses that advertise a U.S. government lottery in which the “winners” get visas to live and work in the U.S.
The real U.S. State Department Diversity Immigrant Visa Program (page here. )
“. . .makes available 50,000 diversity visas (DV) annually, drawn from random selection among all entries to persons who meet strict eligibility requirements from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States.”
That page contains a fraud warning about green card lottery scammers.
Citizens from countries with low levels of immigration to the U.S. are eligible. The Philippines is NOT one of those, in spite of the email we received:
Countries that are ineligible are listed here: http://travel.state.gov/pdf/1318-DV2012Instructions-ENGL.pdf
(click on graphic to enlarge)
See our October blog piece for the rates these guys charge: “Phony green card lottery sites abound”
Tom Kelchner