USA Visa Lottery - Long post

Received this today. Immediately recognised it as a scam, as my details were incorrect.

And look. I get a house, a job and health insurance as well. Must be my lucky day.

Luca

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Message-ID: <[email protected]>
Date: Thu, 10 Mar 2011 02:17:42 +0000
Subject: U.S. Department of State - United States Permanent Resident Card for
Luca *********
From: "U.S. Department of State" <[email protected]>
To: Luca *********<luca.************.co.uk>
Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary=20cf305639694de5a6049e177315



U.S. Department of State sent this message to Luca ******* (luca.************.co.uk)
Your registered name is included to show this message originated from U.S. Department of State.
Congratulations, you've won !

Dear Luca *************,


Congratulations ! You are among those randomly selected and registered for further consideration in the diversity immigrant program. Selection guarantees that
you will receive a United States Permanent Resident Card(also known as Green Card or Diversity Visa) only if you follow the instructions for further processing.

Acceptance Date: Thursday 10th of March 2011 02:15:38 AM

Winner Name: Luca ************

Country of Birth: United Kingdom

Phone Number: 44-**************


Is the Diversity Visa FREE ?
No. There is a big confusion. Only the participation in the Diversity Visa Lottery was free but the winners must pay the visa processing fees.
The fee is used to process your visa related documents and verify your identity.
Fees:

Type of Residence Card Status Amount (per person)
United States Permanent Resident Card Granted! - Waiting for payment of processing fee $880
Processing fees Included
Total $880


INSTRUCTIONS

Please read and follow all the instructions very carefully. With the Diversity Visa (also known as Green Card) you will enjoy all the advantages and benefits of a US permanent resident, including health and education benefits, and employment opportunities along with guidance in your new country, orientation sessions and programs to integrate into mainstream American society. Once received you can use it at any time you want to move in the United States or just travel. The visa must be renewed after 10 years.
Although you will have all the rights that a U.S. citizen has in the United States, without a relative or friend in the United States you may find the relocation difficult and expensive due the lack of experience in the American society. Therefore the U.S. Government helps you with the accommodation and offers you along with each visa Health Insurance (Freedom HSA Direct Individual Health insurance for 1 year), Dwelling(Apartment in any city you prefer, 1 bedroom for 3 months ), a guaranteed job(in the field that you are are currently qualified so you can start working even from the first week you arrive in the United States and get paid as U.S citizen. ) and education (for U.S. Students or Higher Education through EducationUSA. It includes transfer to a U.S college or Univeristy so you can continue your educational study. More details can be found at http://educationusa.state.gov/ .)
We remind you that only the visa processing fee ($880) is mandatory and the visa is guaranteed upon receiving the payment.

Accompanying family members(wife/husband, fiancee, brothers, sisters, children, cousins) may be included in the program and their visas will be provided at the same time with yours so you can travel/move together in the same time. However the fees must be paid per person and each member(e.g wife, brother, parents, children, cousin) must pay $880. There is no discount for children.
Visa Payment processing instructions
The fees must be paid using Western Union money transfer and will be processed by the U.S. embassy in the United Kingdom.
Western Union is a leading provider of International person-to-person money transfer. With more than 150 years experience and 245,000 Agent locations in over 200 countries and territories, Western Union is recognized for sending money quickly, reliably, and safety.
You can send the payment in U.S. dollars or equivalent of your local currency.

Click on the following link to find the nearest Western Union agency and send the fees payment :
Find Western Union Agency
If you are unable to find a Western Union agency near your location, you may ask a relative or friend to pay the fee on your behalf.

After you find a Western Union agency you need to go with cash money, an identity card(e.g passport or national identity card) and send the payment to the U.S. embassy agent address in United Kingdom:

Name : Jussi Rintanen
Address: 24 Grosvenor Square
London, W1A 2LQ
United Kingdom

The payment must be sent to the above U.S. embassy agent address in United Kingdom because the U.S. Government decided this based on the diplomatic relations with your country.


After you send the payment follow the next steps :
a) Email copy/scan of the Western Union receipt at [email protected]
b) Email at [email protected] with the following details (you can find them on the money transfer receipt):

1) Money Transfer Control Number (MTCN):
2) Exact sender's name on file with Western Union:
3) Exact sender's address on file with Western Union:
4) Exact receiver's name on file with Western Union:
5) Amount sent:

Then wait for the confirmation that the payment was received.

Within 72 hours, you will receive a confirmation via email with your Case Number/Confirmation Number and exact date and time(approx. 2 days) of the final interview. Upon successful interview you will receive your documents and travel information to move in the United States. Under no circumstances your visa status won't be affected by the interview.

Important Notice!


The payment must be sent via Western Union no later than March 25, 2011. You are strongly encouraged not to wait until the last day to pay. Heavy demand may result in system delays.
Under no circumstances can diversity visas be issued or adjustments approved after this date, nor can family members obtain diversity visas to follow-to-join the principal applicant in the U.S. after this date.
The visa processing fee(US$ 880) is mandatory for each person and the U.S. Government doesn't offer any discount, loan or exception.
You have been selected winner of the Diversity Visa lottery so the visa is guaranteed upon receiving the payment fees on time.
A hard copy of this letter will be mailed to your postal address upon receiving the payment fees.
Please be advised that even through you are a winner of Diversity Visa your Case Number/Confirmation Number will be provided only after you send the payment confirmation of the fees. Please do not contact us to ask for the Case Number/Confirmation Number.

If it would be necessary to contact the U.S. Department of state YOU MUST ALWAYS REFER TO YOUR NAME. The email address is [email protected]

Welcome to ScamWarners :lucavigg you are absolutely correct this is a scam. No government agency would had a visa applicant pay by Western Union I am sure that the phone number you xxxed out beginning with 44 also has 70 as the next two numbers.

I don't see the email address this scam was sent from, unless it is from the reply to address [email protected]

Thank you for posting this.

Hi Abby

The telephone number I removed was mine and that email you quoted was the only one given.
I've also given the email to authorities in the UK and USA.

If they act swiftly, they can ask USA.COM to remove the account.

Yesterday was definately a day of scams. I got the above email, an email from a very well spoken person in Nigeria asking me if I wanted to earn commission on 600,000 dollars and then I got a text informing me that I may be entitled to £3750 compensation for the accident I had. So traumatic an accident in fact, that I don't recall having it.


Luca

Thank you for clarifying Luca. I wasn't sure.

If you have the other emailed scam available, feel free to post it up here also.

I am also glad that the "accident" wasn't real.

i got the same scam, well, to be honest I believed it in the first place coz they had my nationality and a phone number !!! how come ???? moreover i recently applied for a US visa so that seemed true...
And the address they refered to was :
b) Email at [email protected]
I wonder if there is any way to find out how they got my phone number. I never type it online ! The name and address they wanted me to send the money to :
Name : Alan Masters
Address: 24 Grosvenor Square
London, W1A 2LQ
United Kingdom

If they act swiftly, they can ask USA.COM to remove the account.

We don't recommend doing that. You've ensured that anyone who does an Internet search will find it. Close it, and the scammer will simply open a new one. It's a free email address.

and then I got a text informing me that I may be entitled to £3750 compensation for the accident I had. So traumatic an accident in fact, that I don't recall having it.

I got the same text, so I expect we were in the same accident. +447548051851. Ambulance chasers probably, touting for business.

i got the same scam, well, to be honest I believed it in the first place coz they had my nationality and a phone number !!! how come ???? moreover i recently applied for a US visa so that seemed true...

That's interesting cos last year I started making enquiries into the USA treaty investor (E1 / E2) green card and I registered with a company who will sort out all the paperwork for a reasonable admin fee. They were reccommended by someone who was also applying for a green card through another route.

I wonder how many of these agencies, reputable or otherwise sell email addresses on to other people?

Luca

Thank you for clarifying Luca. I wasn't sure.

If you have the other emailed scam available, feel free to post it up here also.

I am also glad that the "accident" wasn't real.

Here is my rich friend's email:

From [email protected]

Compliments,

I write to you with good sense of purpose,which i foresee will be of good
opportunity to

be friends, and also to add a little to our financial status.

I work with a bank as funds approval Manager, and i want to confirm if i can
trust you to

send the sum of USD600 hundred thousand to you then we negotiate on your
commission.

Your reply is expected if we can work as a team.

Regards,

Kuli Martins

I thought these scams had all but died out.

Luca

I got the same text, so I expect we were in the same accident. +447548051851. Ambulance chasers probably, touting for business.

Is it actually ambulance chasers, or are they trying to get you to text back at a fiver a go?

Luca