Visa applicants are advised to be cautious in dealing with any company that claims to offer assistance in obtaining U.S. visas. The U.S. consulates in South Africa have been witness to numerous scams pretending to help applicants obtain a visa some claiming to be agents of the U. S. government facilitating visa issuances.

Visa scammers promise to ensure successful visa applications of all types of visas, promise winning diversity visa lottery entries or promise to provide documentation that they say will ensure visa issuance.  These scammers often pretent to have special knowledge or access to consular processes.  They contact prospective targets via advertising of all types through web sites, direct email contact, and in person. Sometimes, they pretend to be U.S. government officials or offices, creating email addresses that appear to be official government addresses or offer links to genuine government websites in their messages.

Please contact your nearest Consulate General with any information about fruadulent or suspicious companies or services that may be offering assistence with visa issuance.  You may contact the Consular Cection of your Consulate general

Cape Town: consularcapetown@state.gov

Durban: consulardurban@state.gov

Johannesburg: consularjohannesburg@state.gov

You may find further information and guidance at the following web sites:

Department Of State Website On Visa Fraud: http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/types/types_1749.html

Federal Trade Commission Warning On Diversity Visa Fraud: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/alerts/alt003.shtm

General Internet Fraud Complaint Center: http://www.usa.gov/Citizen/Topics/Internet_Fraud.shtml