A person who receives a fake Diversity Visa notice or who paid a scammer can report it to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and to the U.S. Department of State. The FTC accepts immigration scam reports at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and by phone at 1-877-382-4357.
Quick answer
| Channel | Use it for |
|---|---|
| FTC, ReportFraud.ftc.gov or 1-877-382-4357 | Diversity Visa scams, paid offers, fake winner notices |
| Diplomatic Security visa fraud tip form (dsscrimetips.state.gov) | Tips about visa fraud tied to a specific visa holder; the form asks for the holder’s name, date of birth, passport country, passport number, and visa number |
| econsumer.gov and the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center | Internet fraud and unsolicited email; both are named in the DV-2026 instructions |
| The payment provider (card issuer, bank, or transfer service) | Money already sent; the sooner the contact, the better |
The FTC details come from its FTC consumer advice on the Diversity Visa lottery scam. The Diplomatic Security form was reviewed directly. It states that a complaint can be submitted anonymously and that knowingly submitting false information is a crime. It also directs some matters elsewhere: visa application fraud abroad goes to the relevant U.S. embassy or consulate, immigration benefit fraud goes to USCIS, and reports about people believed to be in the United States illegally go to ICE.
Step 1: stop contact and keep evidence
- Do not send more money, documents, or personal data.
- Save emails with full headers, letters and envelopes, screenshots of websites, payment receipts, and phone numbers.
- Write down dates, amounts, names used, and how the payment was made.
- Do not delete the conversation, even if it is embarrassing. A complete record makes a report easier to act on.
Step 2: confirm the facts through the official tool
Open Entrant Status Check on the official site with the person’s own confirmation number. The Department of State instructions for DV-2026 state that the Department notifies selectees only there, and that it does not send selection notices by email or letter. If the message claims a win that the status page does not show, it is fraud.
The same instructions say the only authorized Department website for official online entry and for Entrant Status Check in the DV-2026 program is dvprogram.state.gov. They add that only internet sites ending in “.gov” are official U.S. government websites, and that sites ending in “.com,” “.org,” or “.net” are not endorsed by the Department.
Step 3: report
File an FTC report with the evidence collected. The FTC’s advice names ReportFraud.ftc.gov and the phone number 1-877-382-4357 for Diversity Visa scams. The Diplomatic Security form fits cases where a specific visa or visa holder is involved, because it requires visa holder details. A fake winner notice with no visa holder is a better fit for the FTC report.
The DV-2026 instructions have a short fraud section. It points readers to econsumer.gov, a site hosted by the FTC with consumer-protection agencies from other nations, and says fraud may also be reported to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center. For unsolicited email, it names a complaint tool on econsumer.gov and a Department of Justice page on unsolicited commercial email.
What the Diplomatic Security form asks
The form marks several fields as required: first name, last name, date of birth, passport country, passport number, visa number, and a description of the complaint. Middle name, other comments, and file uploads are optional. The submitter must check a box acknowledging that knowingly submitting false information is a crime. After submission, the confirmation page says an anonymous complaint is being submitted, and the form also has a separate section for confidential complainant details. A person should read that section before deciding what to share.
The page also says the State Department cannot give visa or passport application status through the form, because of privacy concerns. It asks users to share sensitive information only on official, secure websites that use a .gov domain and HTTPS.
Because the form needs a visa number and passport details, it suits a tip about a known visa holder. It does not suit a general complaint about a website that promised a win.
Step 4: contact the payment provider
A person who sent money by card, bank transfer, or a money transfer service should contact that provider quickly and describe the fraud. The FTC lists payment by check, money order, or wire as a red flag, and those routes are harder to reverse. The FTC’s general scam guidance adds that a person should never pay someone who insists on cryptocurrency, a wire service, a payment app, or a gift card, and should never deposit a check and send money back (FTC advice on avoiding scams).
Step 5: protect identity data
The Department warns that personal information sent to non-government websites may be used for identity fraud or theft. A person who shared a passport scan, a photograph, or an email password should change the password and watch for misuse of the passport details. The Diplomatic Security page also lists identitytheft.gov as the place to go when personal information has been stolen or compromised.
What a report can and cannot do
None of the sources reviewed promise that a report returns lost money or leads to a response about an individual case. The Diplomatic Security page says it cannot provide application status. The FTC page asks only that suspected scams be reported. A report is best treated as a contribution to the record, not as a claim for repayment.
The FTC has acted on this type of scam before. In October 2003 it announced a federal court case against the operators of eight websites that allegedly posed as government-connected services for the lottery. The FTC release states that a complaint is not a finding of a violation, so the details are allegations only.
What not to do
- Do not pay a “recovery” fee to anyone who promises to get the money back.
- Do not confront a scammer by sharing more personal data.
- Do not send a Diversity Visa fee by mail or by a service such as Western Union. The instructions say visa fees are paid in person at the consular cashier of the embassy or consulate, or directly to USCIS for people adjusting status.
- Do not click links in the suspicious message to “verify” a report.
Frequently asked questions
Will the FTC recover lost money?
The sources reviewed for this guide do not promise recovery of money. The FTC has taken action against operators of Diversity Visa websites in the past.
Is a report needed when no money was sent?
A report is still useful, because it documents the fraud pattern, especially for fake winner notices.
Can the Kentucky Consular Center handle scam reports?
The instructions say the Kentucky Consular Center cannot check status or provide confirmation numbers; use the Department’s official fraud reporting channels instead.
Can a report be made anonymously?
The Diplomatic Security form states that the complaint is submitted anonymously, though it also includes a section for contact details. The FTC pages reviewed do not describe anonymity rules, so the FTC site should be checked before filing.
Does the program year matter when reporting?
The same reporting channels apply. The DV-2026 instructions say the U.S. government has never sent emails to tell people they were selected, so a notice of that kind is not legitimate.
Related reading
- DV lottery scams: common types and warning signs
- Fake DV lottery winner emails and letters
- Protecting the DV confirmation number
- How to check whether a DV lottery website is official
About this guide
This website is for information only. It is not affiliated with the U.S. government, does not give legal advice or consultations, and does not offer application services. Entries are submitted only on the official entry site, and the current official instructions control, because rules change each year.
Last verified: October 2026. Sources: FTC consumer advice on the Diversity Visa lottery scam; Department of State instructions for DV-2026; FTC advice on avoiding scams.