Fraud Prevention Unit – FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Should anyone wish to come forward with information regarding fraud in non-immigrant, immigrant, diversity visa, or citizenship applications, the fraud prevention unit can be contacted via the following email address or fax number:

Those willing to provide information should rest assured that their information will be received with discretion. Your information is considered anonymous and is treated as strictly confidential. The fraud unit appreciates all efforts to combat fraud.

If you wish to file a complaint about internet fraud, please see visit econsumer.gov, which is a joint effort of consumer protection agencies from 17 nations, hosted by the Federal Trade Commission. You can also visit the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) website. To file a complaint about unsolicited email, contact the Department of Justice.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is the United States agency which enforces the immigration laws of the United States.  Please report the matter to ICE following this link.

It depends on the type of illegal activity and the state where the illegal activity is taking place, but the activity should be reported directly to the applicable U.S. government agency.  For example, if you want to report someone using a false social security number, contact the U.S. Social Security Administration.   Here is some useful contact information for U.S. government agencies that deal with illegal activity:

Internet sites ending in the “.gov” top-level domain suffix are official government websites. To link directly to the more than 200 U.S. Embassy and Consulate websites, visit https://tr.usembassy.gov. Visa information on official U.S. government websites ending in “.gov” is official and correct. Official U.S. government email addresses also end in “.gov,” and any visa-related correspondence coming from an address that does not end with “.gov” should be considered suspect.

The main U.S. government websites containing official visa and immigration information, including free information and forms, are:

U.S. Embassy and Consulate websites: https://tr.usembassy.gov/embassy-consulates/ 
Department of State, Consular Affairs travel website: http://travel.state.gov
Department of State, Diversity Visa Lottery website: http://www.dvlottery.state.gov
Department of Homeland Security (DHS): http://www.dhs.gov
DHS, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services: http://www.uscis.gov
DHS, U.S. Customs and Border Protection: http://www.cbp.gov
DHS, Immigration and Customs Enforcement: http://www.ice.gov
Department of Labor: http://www.doleta.gov

Many other non-governmental websites (e.g., addresses ending with “.com,” “.org” or “.net”) claim to provide immigration and visa-related information and services. Regardless of the content of other websites, the Department of State does not endorse, recommend, or sponsor any information or material shown on these other websites. The information provided may not be correct or up-to-date, and should always be verified by consulting an official U.S. government source. Visa applicants are advised to be cautious in all dealings with companies that claim to offer any assistance in obtaining U.S. visas.

Some websites and emails try to mislead customers and members of the public into thinking they are official U.S. government websites. These websites are designed to appear official, and often have images of the U.S. flag, U.S. Capitol or the White House. What these websites and emails are missing is the “.gov” suffix on their addresses.  Remember that anything that does not end with “.gov” should be considered suspect. Please note that the interview appointment email notification will originate from a “.com” email address as this service is outsourced. The official web site for the company in Turkey is, www.usvisa-info.com .

Some of these fraudulent organizations may require payment for immigration and visa services. If payment is made to a non-governmental source (or to the designated company), this payment is not received by the U.S. government and does not apply toward visa processing. Sometimes these costs are for information or forms that are otherwise available for free on official U.S. government websites. Additionally, these imposter websites and emails cannot provide the services they advertise and for which they require payment. For example, many fraudulent emails promise U.S. visas or “green cards” in return for a large fee. These non-governmental, unofficial organizations are not able to provide these services. These services can only be obtained from official U.S. government entities, such as the Department of State, a U.S. Embassy or Consulate, or the Department of Homeland Security.  Be wary of providing any personal information through these fraudulent websites and emails, since such action that could result in identity fraud or theft. Visa applicants are strongly advised to be cautious in all dealings with non-governmental companies that claim to offer any assistance in obtaining U.S. visas.