FTC Warns Internet-users about Green Card Sweepstake Phishing Messages

FTC (Federal Trade Commission) lately declared a particular lottery event's outcomes namely the DV or Diversity Visa Lottery. However, the commission simultaneously cautioned people for remaining cautious of scam e-mails related to the Green Card sweepstake that were also circulating. FTC stated that whilst there was one real Visa Lottery going on, Internauts required being extra cautious about bogus messages dispatched to them asserting they were a winner, reported examiner.com dated May 21, 2013.

FTC elaborated that online fraudsters were dispatching phishing e-mails telling recipients they were winners of the authorized Green Card sweepstake. When users got the fraudulent notification they were directed for transmitting money so they could claim their due. But, according to FTC, such e-mails were part of the latest e-mail scam that related to the Green Card sweepstake over which consumers must remain wary.

Moreover, FTC says that United States government won't ever request Internauts for sending money rather it'll direct people to bring cash straight away when they visit USA's embassy via appointment. The commission suggests that anyone wanting to get information about the DV Lottery should go to the authorized Internet site.

It also added that any electronic mail about visa applications would solely arrive from an id ending with .gov that was the authorized e-mail account of the United States government. Any other e-mail communication related to visa application arriving from an id which didn't have '.gov' as the suffix must be treated with suspicion.

Besides, the FTC advised everyone for remaining aware of fraudulent, phishing or spoofed websites that phishers created. Websites having .gov as the suffix to their URLs were real government sites. Those websites alone helped in acquiring US visas. Any other site providing the information might give inappropriate else obsolete details, and required getting confirmed through consultation with an authorized site of the United States government.

Finally, the FTC as well cautions Internet users waiting for the results of the Diversity Visa Lottery for being careful about identity theft. If anyone gets an e-mail which appears doubtful, he mustn't open it rather forward the message to FTC at spam@uce.gov.

» SPAMfighter News - 5/29/2013