USAGC.org - it is a Fake Green Card Lottery Service Provider

I was tricked by USAGC.org (USAGC Organization), a so-called Green Card Lottery Service Provider website, into two purchases for a total amount of $1,116. I decided to do follow up research and realized that USAGC is a scam company. My next steps were blocking my credit card, requesting a charge back in by bank and at the same time contacting USAGC customer support team to have my information removed from their database.

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USAGC.org - it is a Fake Green Card Lottery Service Provider

The Fraudulent Website - www.USAGC.org

USAGC.org

There are many commercial or non-government websites that are deceiving people into believing that they are official U.S. Government sites or that they are approved by the U.S. Government. They may even contact you by e-mail to lure you to their websites using fake offers.

There are some companies who claim to be the U.S. Government and demand money in order to complete the green card lottery application. Please note that the only official way to apply for the U.S. Green Card Lottery is to apply online at The Dept. of State website.

In 5 working days, I was contacted by USAGC by phone and had a short conversation with another supervisor -- Irina. She asked me what is wrong and why I want to cancel my membership. I told that I don't trust this company anymore as I did specify all my reasons in by email. In answer, she told that I agreed to all the terms from the company and I can't now request any chargebacks or refund. I told her that:

  1. I'm sure that payment method when they ask for CC number and CVV over the phone or by email is illegal. Services provided are not trustworthy.
  2. I forbid them to keep my personal data and use them for placing by an application on official US site (which is dvlottery.state.gov by the way).
  3. I insist on canceling USAGC services whatsoever and insist on a full refund.

Irina informed me that I can't request any refund. That she will freeze my application form for now but won't delete my data. Full chargeback is not possible -- only partial refund in a manner of discount.

I insisted on my initial requirements based on a statement that their services are not legal; they can't keep and use my personal data without my permission. As a service company (as they claim to be) they can't stop me from canceling their service cause it is against law protecting customer rights (that is my interpretation of course). I also informed Irina that I created reports on official sites that will help to build cases against them (see http://travel.state.gov/). Here is a list:

  1. http://www.ftc.gov/complaint
  2. http://www.econsumer.gov/ - joint effort of consumer protection agencies from 17 nations (posted by FTC);
  3. http://www.ic3.gov/ - Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), internet crime complaint center.
  4. http://www.usdoj.gov/spam.htm - Department of Justice.

If you accidentally become a victim of USAGC.org I recommend following steps:

  1. Block and reissue credit card (it won't prevent them to refund money if they will as far as I was informed in my bank).
  2. Report fraud and request chargeback in your bank.
  3. Request full refund by phone and/or email to USAGC.org customer support.
  4. Report scam on the official sites provided above.

I know that FBI won't investigate each individual case. But if sufficient amount of reports will be filed - probably they will act on them eventually.

USAGC Organization is currently using the following websites:

  • mobile.usagc.org
  • USA-immigration-service.us
  • usagcnews.org
Check the comment section below for additional information, share what you know, or ask a question about this article by leaving a comment below. And, to quickly find answers to your questions, use our search Search engine.

Note: Some of the information in samples on this website may have been impersonated or spoofed.

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Comments, Questions, Answers, or Reviews

Comments (Total: 43)

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February 2, 2019 at 7:27 AM by
USAGC.org - it is a Fake Green Card Lottery Service Provider
an anonymous user from: Dublin, Leinster, Ireland

I PAID A TOTAL OF 1120 EUROS 3 years ago. since my last payement for buying 10 years in the lotterly I havent heard from them and I cant logg in my account to see whats happenning. They used to ring me often and now there r nowhere to be...I was stupid how they fooled me.

Delete

January 16, 2019 at 4:07 AM by
USAGC.org - it is a Fake Green Card Lottery Service Provider
an anonymous user from: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

I have been tricked to and was wondering if any one of you received a refund of the amounts paid.

Thank you.

Delete

November 17, 2018 at 2:16 PM by
USAGC.org - it is a Fake Green Card Lottery Service Provider
an anonymous user from: Kungälv, Vastra Gotaland County, Sweden

Hi,

I have been tricked too for around a 1000usd 8 years ago but relized it the year after.

I received a call from their office asking for my new credit card details when I refused the guy got angry and I had to tell them that I know that they are scammers.

Delete

September 30, 2018 at 8:51 AM by
USAGC.org - it is a Fake Green Card Lottery Service Provider
an anonymous user from: Portlaoise, Leinster, Ireland

I paid two installments totaling over $500 dollars. One was for a few years and the other gave 25 years on their list. I only realized that they were fake this year when I could not sign in.

I do not expect to get anything back as it was nine years ago and also the credit card is no longer in use.

Delete

November 22, 2017 at 7:11 AM by
USAGC.org - it is a Fake Green Card Lottery Service Provider
an anonymous user from: Rho, Lombardy, Italy

Hello,

I was tricked from the USGC as well. My payment is now pre-authorized and its not still arrived. They sent me the confirmation number in order to check my status next year but I suppose that it wont be valid. Can someone help me,what should I do? My bank told me that the cant do anything now and that its up to them to refuse the payment.

Delete

August 29, 2018 at 10:17 AM by
USAGC.org - it is a Fake Green Card Lottery Service Provider
an anonymous user from: Marousi, Attiki, Greece

I was tricked as well by USAGC which has now entered into cooperation with Green Card Lottery Experts (GCLE),

by receiving a phone call. I had applied for the green card from the official website https://www.dvlottery.state.gov which didn't make suspect that the company was fake and how they found my personal information and phone number.

I am now in the process of disputing the charge and suing them, so they don't use any of my personal information against me.

Any advice is appreciated.

Delete

November 6, 2017 at 12:35 AM by
USAGC.org - it is a Fake Green Card Lottery Service Provider
an anonymous user from: Colombo, Western, Sri Lanka

H, I'm lakshan the guys tricked me too. I paid 280 EURO in November 2016 for three years, since then I haven't heard from them.

Delete

October 30, 2017 at 12:02 AM by
USAGC.org - it is a Fake Green Card Lottery Service Provider
info

Received via email:

"I was Googling about usagc organization and I got this address. I hope you'll help me. I have tricked by USAGC.org (USAGC Organization), which located in Israel Tel Aviv called Green Card Lottery Service Provider website, purchases for a total amount of the charge me about $1,800 cash. I decided to do follow up research and realized that USAGC is a scam how could you help me I have a lot of documents. Thank you very much."

Delete

October 22, 2017 at 4:24 AM by
USAGC.org - it is a Fake Green Card Lottery Service Provider
an anonymous user from: Amsterdam, North Holland, Netherlands

Those people are fake people, they even collect money from my bank account and I promise to report them to the police.

Delete

October 12, 2017 at 8:34 AM by
USAGC.org - it is a Fake Green Card Lottery Service Provider
an anonymous user from: Jerusalem, Israel

Just did the same mistake yesterday :( with www.usadiversitylottery.com paid 99$ for 1 year husband-wife form and only today I found out it's a fake website :(

I blocked my credit card and don't know if I will get a refund. But the most scary thing is that they have all my personal information including pictures of my family and kids.

I read and saw they can apply in my name every year and if I won they can blackmail me about it. Or, duplicate my application so it will fail all the time.

What should I do? I didn't email them yet or ask to cancel my data :(

Delete

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Online Threat Alerts Security Tips

Pay the safest way

Credit cards are the safest way to pay for online purchases because you can dispute the charges if you never get the goods or services or if the offer was misrepresented. Federal law limits your liability to $50 if someone makes unauthorized charges to your account, and most credit card issuers will remove them completely if you report the problem promptly.

Guard your personal information

In any transaction you conduct, make sure to check with your state or local consumer protection agency and the Better Business Bureau (BBB) to see if the seller, charity, company, or organization is credible. Be especially wary if the entity is unfamiliar to you. Always call the number found on a website’s contact information to make sure the number legitimately belongs to the entity you are dealing with.

Be careful of the information you share

Never give out your codes, passwords or personal information, unless you are sure of who you're dealing with

Know who you’re dealing with

Crooks pretending to be from companies you do business with may call or send an email, claiming they need to verify your personal information. Don’t provide your credit card or bank account number unless you are actually paying for something and know who you are sending payment to. Your social security number should not be necessary unless you are applying for credit. Be especially suspicious if someone claiming to be from a company with whom you have an account asks for information that the business already has.

Check your accounts

Regularly check your account transactions and report any suspicious or unauthorised transactions.

Don’t believe promises of easy money

If someone claims that you can earn money with little or no work, get a loan or credit card even if you have bad credit, or make money on an investment with little or no risk, it’s probably a scam. Oftentimes, offers that seem too good to be true, actually are too good to be true.

Do not open email from people you don’t know

If you are unsure whether an email you received is legitimate, try contacting the sender directly via other means. Do not click on any links in an email unless you are sure it is safe.

Think before you click

If an email or text message looks suspicious, don’t open any attachments or click on the links.

Verify urgent requests or unsolicited emails, messages or phone calls before you respond

If you receive a message or a phone call asking for immediate action and don't know the sender, it could be a phishing message.

Be careful with links and new website addresses

Malicious website addresses may appear almost identical to legitimate sites. Scammers often use a slight variation in spelling or logo to lure you. Malicious links can also come from friends whose email has unknowingly been compromised, so be careful.

Secure your personal information

Before providing any personal information, such as your date of birth, Social Security number, account numbers, and passwords, be sure the website is secure.

Stay informed on the latest cyber threats

Keep yourself up to date on current scams by visiting this website daily.

Use Strong Passwords

Strong passwords are critical to online security.

Keep your software up to date and maintain preventative software programs

Keep all of your software applications up to date on your computers and mobile devices. Install software that provides antivirus, firewall, and email filter services.

Update the operating systems on your electronic devices

Make sure your operating systems (OSs) and applications are up to date on all of your electronic devices. Older and unpatched versions of OSs and software are the target of many hacks. Read the CISA security tip on Understanding Patches and Software Updates for more information.

What if You Got Scammed?

Stop Contact With The Scammer

Hang up the phone. Do not reply to emails, messages, or letters that the scammer sends. Do not make any more payments to the scammer. Beware of additional scammers who may contact you claiming they can help you get your lost money back.

Secure Your Finances

  • Report potentially compromised bank account, credit or debit card information to your financial institution(s) immediately. They may be able to cancel or reverse fraudulent transactions.
  • Notify the three major credit bureaus. They can add a fraud alert to warn potential credit grantors that you may be a victim of identity theft. You may also want to consider placing a free security freeze on your credit report. Doing so prevents lenders and others from accessing your credit report entirely, which will prevent them from extending credit:

Check Your Computer

If your computer was accessed or otherwise affected by a scam, check to make sure that your anti-virus is up-to-date and running and that your system is free of malware and keylogging software. You may also need to seek the help of a computer repair company. Consider utilizing the Better Business Bureau’s website to find a reputable company.

Change Your Account Passwords

Update your bank, credit card, social media, and email account passwords to try to limit further unauthorized access. Make sure to choose strong passwords when changing account passwords.

Report The Scam

Reporting helps protect others. While agencies can’t always track down perpetrators of crimes against scammers, they can utilize the information gathered to record patterns of abuse which may lead to action being taken against a company or industry.

Report your issue to the following agencies based on the nature of the scam:

  • Local Law Enforcement: Consumers are encouraged to report scams to their local police department or sheriff’s office, especially if you lost money or property or had your identity compromised.
  • Federal Trade Commission: Contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357) or use the Online Complaint Assistant to report various types of fraud, including counterfeit checks, lottery or sweepstakes scams, and more.
  • Identitytheft.gov: If someone is using your personal information, like your Social Security, credit card, or bank account number, to open new accounts, make purchases, or get a tax refund, report it at www.identitytheft.gov. This federal government site will also help you create your Identity Theft Report and a personal recovery plan based on your situation. Questions can be directed to 877-ID THEFT.

How To Recognize a Phishing Scam

Scammers use email or text messages to try to steal your passwords, account numbers, or Social Security numbers. If they get that information, they could get access to your email, bank, or other accounts. Or they could sell your information to other scammers. Scammers launch thousands of phishing attacks like these every day — and they’re often successful.

Scammers often update their tactics to keep up with the latest news or trends, but here are some common tactics used in phishing emails or text messages:

Phishing emails and text messages often tell a story to trick you into clicking on a link or opening an attachment. You might get an unexpected email or text message that looks like it’s from a company you know or trust, like a bank or a credit card or utility company. Or maybe it’s from an online payment website or app. The message could be from a scammer, who might

  • say they’ve noticed some suspicious activity or log-in attempts — they haven’t
  • claim there’s a problem with your account or your payment information — there isn’t
  • say you need to confirm some personal or financial information — you don’t
  • include an invoice you don’t recognize — it’s fake
  • want you to click on a link to make a payment — but the link has malware
  • say you’re eligible to register for a government refund — it’s a scam
  • offer a coupon for free stuff — it’s not real

About Online Threat Alerts (OTA)

Online Threat Alerts or OTA is an anti-cybercrime community that started in 2012. OTA alerts the public to cyber crimes and other web threats.

By alerting the public, we have prevented a lot of online users from getting scammed or becoming victims of cybercrimes.

With the ever-increasing number of people going online, it important to have a community like OTA that continuously alerts or protects those same people from cyber-criminals, scammers and hackers, who are every day finding new ways of carrying out their malicious activities.

Online users can help by reporting suspicious or malicious messages or websites to OTA. And, if they want to determine if a message or website is a threat or scam, they can use OTA's search engine to search for the website or parts of the message for information.

Help maintain Online Threat Alerts (OTA).

USAGC.org - it is a Fake Green Card Lottery Service Provider