Showing posts with label legit. Show all posts
Showing posts with label legit. Show all posts

Saturday, March 3, 2018

Scam alert: Review of dishonest and illegit behavior of the founders of applian.com and zingtree.com

I've been a member of the affiliate program of Applian Technologies (applian.com), a company selling streaming media recording software, since about 2000. The tracking was done via Commission Junction affiliate network. Many Commission Junction advertisers have been rejecting my web-sites due to Russian language, my location or for various other reason. In fact many of them have been refusing my applications automatically without even considering my web-sites or traffic they generate. Even in 2000 there were plenty of people from Russia involved in various scams, money laundering and fraudulent credit cards, so it was very frustrating to try to legitimately make money from the legit traffic I was getting.

Luckily I found the affiliate program of Applian Technologies that accepted my application and was happy to pay me for legit traffic. It was OK at first and I was getting checks in USD that were successfully converted into cash via VTB and several other banks in Russia. Then I started having problems in the banks, because they wanted a contract that Commission Junction obviously didn't have. Then they also started asking to have the same name and address as in a passport, some kind invoice for every transaction and more. Although some things were easy to do, others like contracts were a real headache. It is so much easier to get an affiliate payment in the USA where nobody in a bank asks you anything about your checks, not to mention how easy it is to pay taxes from these payments.

So when Applian offered to pay me directly most of the commission while still tracking it via Commission Junction, I thought it was a good idea. I trusted the founders of applian.com (who are now the founders of zingtree.com as well). And I was getting my commission fully at first. I would send an invoice once in while (say once a year or once in 2 years), get all the papers for the bank and receive my wire transfer.

Then I sold my web-sites all-streaming-media.com and stream-recorder.com for only 50% of the yearly profit they were generating (I know this price offered by Applian was far from fair, but it was me who agreed, so I don't blame anybody for that). I started getting less affiliate commission via emoney.al.ru, but this still allowed me to make several thousand dollars since 2011 to 2017. The problem is that I didn't request payment, because of the problems with banks in Russia. I wanted to have a larger amount to be transferred, so that I don't have to provide papers and notarized translations to the bank and the Federal Tax Service of Russia for every little transfer (obviously it is much easier to do it in batches). Since I trusted the owners of Applian Technlogies, I didn't expect anything bad to happen. It appeared that I was so wrong.

When Applian closed its affiliate program at Commission Junction in 2017, I didn't get any notification. When I found this out it was alarming. I wrote to the founders and asked to send me a wire transfer. I didn't get any replies by e-mail, so I found out how to contact them via Skype. It appeared that they just didn't want to pay. They offered me to forget about all my affiliate commission for the past 6 years. They said I couldn't send an invoice after 6 years, that the situation in the company changed drastically.

But obviously it doesn't have to do anything with the term, because they didn't even pay for 2016 although I was requesting payment in 2017. Moreover my affiliate commission is not very large considering the sales Applian was generating in the past. So an honest person would just pay from his own pocket, even if it is done partially (by the mutual agreement) and via an installment plan. But this is not the case here. I didn't get a penny from Applian Technologies for all my work from 2012 to 2017.

Moreover since they refused to pay completely, I offered them to get all-streaming-media.com and stream-recorder.com domains instead of the affiliate commission, these web-sites seems to be dead for Applian anyway. If you try to enter All-streaming-media.com, you get the message "Deceptive site ahead". I warned the company about it about 6 month ago, but nothing has changed since then.

all-streaming-media.com (belonging to Applian): Deceptive site ahead


stream-recorder.com message board has some kind of technical issues. So basically it is dead for more than a month.



It is so frustrating to see deceptive content as well as the dead message board on the web-sites that I spent so much blood and tears onto. Although I don't want to be involved into streaming media recording anymore, I would rather resurrect the projects so that they continue helping people.

In the end I warned Bill Dettering and Tom Mayes that I would write about their dishonest behavior, so that everybody knows they can't be trusted. I also warned them that my experience shows that bad online reputation will cause them to lose several times more money then they refuse to pay. But this didn't even allowed me to get the dead domains.

I should have paid much more attention to the facts of bundling nasty adware or spyware with their free software. This was a clear sign that these people can not be trusted.

I highly recommend not to use any products or services from Applian or Zingtree. These people just can't be trusted after the rip off and bundling software with spyware/malware.

This is a huge amount of money for me these days. But sometimes we win, sometimes we lose. And although the law doesn't protect us from many scams, illegit and dishonest behavior, the laws of Karma are unavoidable. So if you do any evil, sooner or later you will face it from the other side. And I don't need to do anything for that to happen. The Universal Mind will take care of it by itself.

p.s. One of the software companies has sent me a wire transfer with the affiliate commission for the past 4 years recently. So despite what Bill Dettering claimed, this is only about honesty.

via

Monday, January 4, 2016

23 Industrial Blvd, FFXXXXX Fishisfast, New Castle, DE (Delaware), 19720-9005, USA: scam or legit

Is the following address used for scams and frauds?


23 Industrial Blvd
FFXXXXX Fishisfast
New Castle, DE (Delaware), 19720-9005, USA
Phone (302) 689-3120

No, this is a warehouse address used by FishisFast parcel forwarder (package forwarder, freight forwarder, mail forwarder).

FishisFast LLC is registered at 23 Industrial Blvd, New Castle, DE 19720.

What is FishisFast?


FishisFast is a US package forwarding company (also known as a freight forwarder, a mail forwarder or a shipping forwarder, a parcel forwarder, a package forwarder) allowing to overcome geographical shipping restrictions and ship online purchases to the following countries: Russian Federation, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Japan, Korea, Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, American Samoa, Andorra, Angola, Anguilla, Antarctica, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Bhutan, Bolivia, Plurinational State of, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Bouvet Island, Brazil, British Indian Ocean Territory, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Congo, The Democratic Republic of the, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Côte d'Ivoire, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Falkland Islands (Malvinas), Faroe Islands, Fiji, Finland, France, French Guiana, French Polynesia, French Southern Territories, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Gibraltar, Greece, Greenland, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guam, Guatemala, Guernsey, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Heard Island and McDonald Islands, Holy See (Vatican City State), Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Islamic Republic of, Iraq, Ireland, Isle of Man, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jersey, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Korea, Democratic People's Republic of, Korea, Republic of, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macao, Macedonia, Republic of, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Martinique, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mayotte, Mexico, Micronesia, Federated States of, Moldova, Republic of, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Montserrat, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Niue, Norfolk Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Palestinian Territory, Occupied, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Pitcairn, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russian Federation, Rwanda, Réunion, Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Svalbard and Jan Mayen, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syrian Arab Republic, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, United Republic of, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tokelau, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Turks and Caicos Islands, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, United States Minor Outlying Islands, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of, Viet Nam, Virgin Islands, British, Virgin Islands, U.S., Wallis and Futuna, Western Sahara, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Åland Islands

Shopping online has become the easiest and least expensive way to shop in the US. That's why in 2012, they launched Fishisfast parcel forwarding to extend that experience to everyone, no matter what country you're in. They receive your items for you, let you inspect them yourself and make it easy to have them delivered to you.
Their whole team at Fishisfast is dedicated to constantly improving your experience whether it's through enhancing their web app, shipping and receiving your items or making sure they're delivered safely and quickly.
FishisFast is one of the most popular package forwarders delivering purchases from USA to Russia. It has thousands of customers from all over the world. FishisFast Facebook page in English has hundreds of likes:



The company has a similar community of followers in the popular Russian social network vk.com.

Can the "23 Industrial Blvd, FFXXXXX Fishisfast, New Castle, DE (Delaware), 19720-9005, USA" address be used for scams and frauds?


Yes it can be used for legit as well as illegal activities like ANY other address. BUT I and many of my friends use it for making legit purchases in many US online shops that don't offer international shipping from the USA. Also even US individuals and US companies can use parcel forwarders like FishisFast to ship to Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Marshall Islands, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, or Federated States of Micronesia.

Information for online retailers about FishisFast


FishisFast and victims of stolen credit cards


If you're a store owner who shipped product to 23 Industrial Blvd, FFXXXXX Fishisfast, New Castle, DE (Delaware), 19720-9005, USA and got a charge-back, contact FishisFast immediately if you are a victim of credit card fraud. Most parcel forwarders, especially the large ones like FishisFast, have zero credit card fraud tolerance policy. Fraud accounts are canceled and packages are sent back to sellers.

FishisFast and international sales


Online retailers may suggest parcel forwarders like FishisFast to their customers, so that they can more international sales.

825 Dawson Dr, Suite 10-XXXXX Pochtoy.com, Newark, DE, USA : Scam and fraud or legit

Is the following address used for scams and frauds?


825 Dawson Dr
Suite 10-XXXXX Pochtoy.com
Newark, DE 19713, USA
Phone 858-633-6353

No, this is one of the warehouses used by Pochtoy parcel forwarder (package forwarder, freight forwarder, mail forwarder).

Pochtoy.com LLC resides at 621 Regis Ave, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (PA). But it offers a tax free location in Newark, Delaware as well.


What is Pochtoy?


Pochtoy is a US package forwarding company (also known as a freight forwarder, a mail forwarder or a shipping forwarder, a parcel forwarder, a package forwarder) allowing to overcome geographical shipping restrictions and ship online purchases to the following countries: Australia, Azerbaijan, the UK, Armenia, Belarus, Belgium, Hungary, Germany, Greece, Georgia, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Israel, India, Italy, Kazakhstan, Cyprus, Kyrgyzstan, China, Lithuania, Latvia, Mexica, Moldova, Mongolia, Netherlands, UAE, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Finland, France, Montenegro, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Sweden, Estonia, Japan and Russia.

Pochtoy is one of the most popular package forwarders delivering purchases from USA to Russia. It has thousands of customers from all over the world. Pochtoy.com Facebook page has more than 6'000 likes:



The company has even more followers in the popular Russian social network vk.com.

Can the "825 Dawson Dr, Suite 10-XXXXX Pochtoy.com, Newark, DE, USA" address be used for scams and frauds?


Yes it can be used for legit as well as illegal activities like ANY other address. BUT I and many of my friends use it for making legit purchases in many US online shops that don't offer international shipping from the USA. Also even US individuals and US companies can use parcel forwarders like Pochtoy.com to ship to Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Marshall Islands, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, or Federated States of Micronesia.

Information for online retailers about Pochtoy


Pochtoy.com and victims of stolen credit cards


If you're a store owner who shipped product to 825 Dawson Dr, Suite 10-XXXXX Pochtoy.com, Newark, DE, USA and got a chargeback, contact Pochtoy.com immediately if you are a victim of credit card fraud. Most parcel forwarders, especially the large ones like Pochtoy.com, have zero credit card fraud tolerance policy. Fraud accounts are canceled and packages are sent back to sellers.

Pochtoy.com and international sales


Online retailers may suggest parcel forwarders like Pochtoy to their customers, so that they can more international sales.

Thursday, March 5, 2015

2972 Columbia St., Torrance, CA 90503, USA: Scam and fraud or legit?

Is the following address used for scams and frauds?


2972 Columbia St.
Suite # XXXXX
Torrance, CA 90503
USA


No, this is one of the warehouses used by Shipito (Eastbiz Corp.).

Shipito warehouses
Shipito warehouse: 2972 Columbia St., Suite # XXXXX, Torrance, CA 90503, USA

What is Shipito (Eastbiz Corp.)?


Shipito (Eastbiz Corp.) is a US package forwarding company (also known as a freight forwarder, a mail forwarder or a shipping forwarder) allowing to overcome geographical shipping restrictions and ship online purchases to

  • Alaska, Hawaii,

  • U.S. Protectorates and Insular areas (Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Marshall Islands, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, or Federated States of Micronesia),

  • APO, FPO, and DPO Addresses,

  • DOS Addresses,

  • other countries including but not limited to Canada, the U.K., Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Mexico, Brazil, India, Russia, Kuwait, Virgin Islands, Japan, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Luxembourg, Monaco, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Estonia, Lithuania, Portugal, Slovenia, Sweden, Australia, Korea, New Zealand, Singapore, Slovakia, Bahrain, Israel, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, The Bahamas, Bermuda, Brazil, Cayman Islands, the Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan,...


Shipito is one of the largest freight forwarders. It has tens of thousands of customers from all over the world. Shipito Facebook page has more than 12'700 likes:

Shipito on Facebook

See also: US online stores shipping and not shipping to Shipito warehouse in Torrance, California (2964 Columbia St., Torrance, CA 90503, USA).

Can the "2972 Columbia St., Torrance, CA 90503, USA" address be used for scams and frauds?


Yes it can be used for legit as well as illegal activities like ANY other address. BUT I and many of my friends use it for making legit purchases in US online shops that don't ship overseas. Also even US individuals and US companies use Shipito package/parcel forwarding service for shipping to Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Marshall Islands, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, or Federated States of Micronesia.

Information for online retailers about Shipito


Shipito and victims of stolen credit cards


If you're a store owner who shipped product to 2972 Columbia St., Torrance, CA 90503, USA and got a chargeback, contact Shipito immediately if you are a victim of credit card fraud. If they find that a stolen credit card was used, they immediately send packages back to you. Shipito has zero tolerance policy. Fraud accounts are immediately canceled.

Shipito and international sales


Shipito offers a program where they can guarantee all sales to online retailers if they are purchased directly by Shipito. This allows online retailers not to lose international sales, while Shipito takes the risk of accepting international payments.

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Scam e-mail: "Hearing of your case in Court SN0990", "Notice of appearance in court No9812"

I got many scam e-mails with the subjects like "Hearing of your case in Court SN0990", "Notice of appearance in court No9812" from help7561@islamiclawyers.com, reference6317@bushlewislawyers.com, answer806@petlawyers.com,....
From: "Notice to appear" answer806@petlawyers.com
To: vasya@pupkin.ru
April 1, 1:49
1 file

Notice to appear,

Hereby you are notified that you have been scheduled
to appear for your hearing that will take place
in the court of Tampa in May 22, 2014 at 11:45 am.

You are kindly asked to prepare and bring
the documents relating to the case to court on the specified date.

The copy of the court notice is attached to this letter,
please, download and read it thoroughly.
Note: The case may be heard by the
judge in your absence if you do not come.

Yours truly,
PARRISH HARTMAN
Clerk to the Court.
The scammer's e-mail come with in attachment like "Notice_to_Appear_SN0990.zip" . It is the attachment that makes you understand that this e-mail is not a legit one. Luckily we have a ZIP archive, so it can be safely saved onto your disk. But I do not recommend to open such attachments or save them onto your disk anyway. Many newer e-mail services allow you to save attachments to cloud services. Save the attachment to the cloud, then create a public link for it. Then navigate to a free virus checking service Virus Total and scan the attachment by providing a web link to it.



In my case it was easy to see that the e-mail was from scammers. See how many antiviruses detected a virus in the file:
Antivirus Result Update
AVG PSW.Generic12.AIAG 20140403
Ad-Aware Trojan.GenericKD.1627712 20140403
Agnitum Backdoor.Androm!OL49BmuAz4I 20140403
AntiVir TR/Kuluoz.A.71 20140403
Antiy-AVL Worm/Win32.AutoRun 20140403
Avast Win32:Trojan-gen 20140403
Baidu-International Backdoor.Win32.Androm.AS 20140403
BitDefender Trojan.GenericKD.1627712 20140403
Bkav W32.DownloadZortobF.Trojan 20140403
Commtouch W32/Trojan.NXPN-0725 20140403
Comodo UnclassifiedMalware 20140403
DrWeb BackDoor.Kuluoz.4 20140403
ESET-NOD32 Win32/TrojanDownloader.Zortob.B 20140403
Emsisoft Trojan.GenericKD.1627712 (B) 20140403
F-Prot W32/Trojan3.HYE 20140403
F-Secure Trojan.GenericKD.1627712 20140403
Fortinet W32/Lockscreen.LOA!tr 20140403
GData Trojan.GenericKD.1627712 20140403
Ikarus Trojan-Spy.Zbot 20140403
Kaspersky Backdoor.Win32.Androm.drfl 20140403
Malwarebytes Trojan.Inject 20140403
McAfee PWS-Zbot-FATG!D185A21BF355 20140403
McAfee-GW-Edition PWS-Zbot-FATG!D185A21BF355 20140403
MicroWorld-eScan Trojan.GenericKD.1627712 20140403
Microsoft TrojanDownloader:Win32/Kuluoz.D 20140403
Norman Kryptik.CDKX 20140403
Panda Generic Malware 20140403
Qihoo-360 HEUR/Malware.QVM20.Gen 20140403
Rising PE:Malware.FakeDOC@CV!1.9C3C 20140403
Sophos Mal/DrodZp-A 20140403
Symantec Trojan.Fakeavlock 20140403
TrendMicro BKDR_KULUOZ.JYC 20140403
TrendMicro-HouseCall TROJ_GEN.F47V0331 20140403
VIPRE Trojan.Win32.Generic!BT 20140403
ViRobot Trojan.Win32.Zbot.135680.K 20140403
nProtect Trojan.GenericKD.1627712 20140403

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Is Ausfis.org a scam, fraud or a legitimate service?

I and two of my friends who participated in the DV lottery got e-mails from scammers offering to transfer 800 USD per person to get green card. We old used USAFIS web-site without paying for their service. And last week I got the following e-mail about immigration to Australia:

Australia is facing a worker shortage and is looking for new immigrants. As a valued USAFIS customer, we wish to make your dream of a better future for you and your family a reality. We have joined forces with AUSFIS to see if you have the job skills to legally live and work in Australia. Finding out if you can immigrate to Australia is based upon your profession, education, age and English level. No lotteries determining your future just your skills.

If you are under the age of 49, experienced in your profession and have a reasonable level of English, let AUSFIS check if you can have a new life in Australia. Register Now to the Australian Skilled Migration Program: www.ausfis.org


AUSFIS.org: SCAM, FRAUD or LEGIT?

This is a scam and fraud as reported many users (search for "ausfis.org scam", "ausfis.org fraud", "ausfis.org legit", "ausfis.org complaint", "ausfis.org review" to find out more). The AUSFIS web-site doesn't give any reference to Migration Agents Registration Authority (MARA) website registration which is a requirement by law for all Migration Agents operating in Australia.

If you want to apply for an Australian visa, you should either apply directly via the official Australian government immigration website www.immi.gov.au/immigration/ or use a service of a MARA registered migration agent (www.mara.gov.au). Do not trust any other organisation offering immigration services to Australia and do not give them your credit card number over the phone!

Friday, May 20, 2011

Spam or genuine and legit e-mail from no-reply@state.gov: We regret to inform you that, because of a computer programming error, the results of the 2012 Diversity Lottery that were previously posted on the Department of State Entrant Status Check website have been voided.

Many friends of mine who participated in the DV Lottery 2012 received the following e-mail:
From no-reply@state.gov Thu May 19 21:11:41 2011
Return-path:
Received: from [169.252.4.131] (port=44408 helo=stimson3.state.gov)
by mx85.gmail.com with esmtp
id 1QN6lA-00047n-00
for vasyapupkin@gmail.com; Thu, 19 May 2011 21:11:40 +0400
Received-SPF: none (mx85.gmail.com: 169.252.4.131 is neither permitted nor denied by domain of state.gov) client-ip=169.252.4.131; envelope-from=no-reply@state.gov; helo=stimson3.state.gov;
X-Mru-BL: 0
X-Mru-PTR: stimson.state.gov
X-Mru-NR: 1
X-Mru-OF: Linux (ethernet/modem)
X-Mru-RC: US
Received: from CA2K3RDYPW01.ca.state.sbu ([10.20.38.224])
by stimson3.state.gov with ESMTP id p4JGpkxG030343-p4JGpkxH030343
for ; Thu, 19 May 2011 12:51:46 -0400
Received: from CARELAY2.ca.state.sbu ([10.47.72.8]) by CA2K3RDYPW01.ca.state.sbu with Microsoft SMTPSVC(6.0.3790.3959);
Thu, 19 May 2011 13:11:39 -0400
Date: 19 may 11 13:11:37
From: no-reply@state.gov
Subject: eDV Lottery Confirmation Number
Importance: Normal
Content-Type: text/html
To:
Message-ID:
X-OriginalArrivalTime: 19 May 2011 17:11:39.0343 (UTC) FILETIME=[D1186DF0:01CC1647]
X-Spam: Not detected
X-Mras: Ok

May 16, 2011

Dear Diversity Visa Lottery Entrant:

We regret to inform you that, because of a computer programming error, the results of the 2012 Diversity Lottery that were previously posted on the Department of State Entrant Status Check website have been voided. The results were not valid because they did not represent a fair, random selection of entrants, as required by U.S. law. They were posted in error.

If you checked the Entrant Status Check website (http://www.dvlottery.state.gov) during the first week in May and found a notice that you had been selected for further processing or a notice that you had not been selected, that notice has been rescinded and is no longer valid.

A new selection process will be conducted based on the original entries for the 2012 program.

You submitted a qualified entry between October 5, 2010 and November 3, 2010. Your entry remains with us and will be included in the new selection lottery. Your confirmation number to check results on the Entrant Status Check website is still valid.

If you lost or destroyed your confirmation number, please click here:
https://ceac.state.gov/ccd/pls/public/edv_confirmation_num.php?p=CBE31CB232DBB40CBF48B3492EC4076A

We expect the results of the new selection process to be available on or about July 15, 2011 at http://www.dvlottery.state.gov

We regret any inconvenience or disappointment this might have caused.

[caption id="attachment_1324" align="alignleft" width="640" caption="We regret to inform you that, because of a computer programming error, the results of the 2012 Diversity Lottery that were previously posted on the Department of State Entrant Status Check website have been voided. The results were not valid because they did not represent a fair, random selection of entrants, as required by U.S. law. They were posted in error."]the results of the 2012 Diversity Lottery that were previously posted on the Department of State Entrant Status Check website have been voided[/caption]

Here are some answers to frequently asked questions:

Q: Why was it necessary to invalidate the names that were selected?
U.S. law requires that Diversity Immigrant visas be made available through a strictly random process. A computer programming error resulted in a selection that was not truly random.
Since the computer programming error caused an outcome that was not random, the outcome did not meet the requirements of the law, and would have been unfair to many DV entrants.

Q: Is the 2012 Diversity Visa Program cancelled?
No. The 2012 program will continue. The computer programming error has been identified and corrected. The Department of State will run a new selection using all the qualified entries submitted for the 2012 program (received between October 5, 2010 and November 3, 2010).

Q: Do I have to submit a new application?
No. You may not submit a new application. We will use all qualified entries received during the October 5 to November 3, 2010 registration period.

Q: Will you open a new entry period?
No. New entries will not be accepted.

Q: I checked the Entry Status Check website after May 1 and it said I had been selected. Can I apply for a DV visa?
Unfortunately, results previously posted on this website are not valid because the selection process was not fair or random. We will take the entries of all individuals who sent in their registration during the original October 5 to November 3, 2010 time period and run a new lottery. We regret any inconvenience or disappointment this has caused.

Q: How can I check the results of the new selection?
The new results should be available on this website on or about July 15, 2011. The confirmation code you received when you registered is still valid for use on the website.

Q: Was the Department of State hacked? Was my personal information at risk?
We have no evidence that this problem was caused by any intentional act. No unauthorized party accessed data related to the DV program.
This appears to be solely the result of a computer programming error.

Q: You said the Department of State would not contact DV entrants by e-mail. Why are you sending this one now?
Because of the computer error, we decided it was important to notify every person who might have seen incorrect information on the website. An e-mail was the fastest way to reach DV entrants.
Winners in the new selection process will not be notified by e-mail. The results of the new selection process will only be available on the Entrant Status Check website (http://www.dvlottery.state.gov) on or about July 15, 2011.

Q: I thought I was selected, and I sent application forms to the Kentucky Consular Center. What should I do now?
Those forms will not be processed by the Kentucky Consular Center, because they were submitted in connection with the lottery result that was voided. We cannot reimburse you for any costs, such as postage, that you may have paid to send these forms to the Kentucky Consular Center. You should check the Entrant Status Check website on or about July 15 to see if you are selected in the repeated lottery selection process. If you are selected again, we ask that you simply follow the instructions given in the notification letter, including the step of mailing your completed application forms to the Kentucky Consular Center, once again.

Q: I thought I was selected. I am in the United State and contacted US Citizenship and Immigration Services about adjustment of status. What should I do now?
USCIS will not process any adjustment of status cases based on the voided DV selection process. If you already paid the $440 DV fee to the USBank lockbox based on your belief that you had been selected, you may request a refund from KCC through the following mailing address:

Kentucky Consular Center
3505 Highway 25-W North
Williamsburg, Kentucky 40769

My first thought was that the web-site was hacked and that all the applicants were receiving spam. But it appeared that this was a genuine legit e-mail from the US Department of State:

http://contact-us.state.gov/cgi-bin/state.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=275&p_created=1305304990&p_sid=Yv5whruk&p_accessibility=0&p_redirect=&p_srch=&p_lva=&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPSZwX3NvcnRfYnk9JnBfZ3JpZHNvcnQ9JnBfcm93X2NudD05NCw5NCZwX3Byb2RzPSZwX2NhdHM9JnBfcHY9JnBfY3Y9JnBfc2VhcmNoX3R5cGU9YW5zd2Vycy5zZWFyY2hfbmwmcF9wYWdlPTE!&p_li=&p_topview=1
We regret to inform you that, due to a computer programming problem, the results of the 2012 Diversity Lottery that were previously posted on this website have been voided. They were not valid and were posted in error. The results were not valid because they did not represent a fair, random selection of entrants, as required by U.S. law.


If you checked this website during the first week in May and found a notice that you had been selected for further processing or a notice that you had not been selected, that notice has been rescinded and is no longer valid.



A new selection process will be conducted based on the original entries for the 2012 program.



If you submitted a qualified entry from October 5, 2010 to November 3, 2010, your entry remains with us. It will be included in the new selection lottery. Your confirmation number to check results on this website is still valid.



We expect the results of the new selection process to be available on this website on or about July 15, 2011.



[caption id="attachment_1320" align="alignleft" width="609" caption="Important notice regarding the 2012 Diversity Lottery Program: he current status of the 2012 Diversity Visa Lottery Program"]Important notice regarding the 2012 Diversity Lottery Program[/caption]


We regret any inconvenience this might have caused.


Frequently Asked Questions



Q: Why was it necessary to invalidate the names that were selected?




  • U.S. law requires that Diversity Immigrant visas be made available through a strictly random process. A computer programming error resulted in a selection that was not truly random.




  • Since the computer programming error caused an outcome that was not random, the outcome did not meet the requirements of the law, and would have been unfair to many DV entrants.



Q: Is the 2012 Diversity Visa Program cancelled?




  • No. The 2012 program will continue. The computer programming error has been identified and corrected. The Department of State will run a new selection using all the qualified entries (ones received between October 5, 2010 and November 3, 2010) it received for the 2012 program.



Q: Do I have to submit a new application?




  • No. You may not submit a new application. We will use all qualified entries received during the October 5 to November 3, 2010 registration period.



Q: Will you open a new entry period?




  • New entries will not be accepted.



Q: I checked the Entry Status Check website after May 1 and it said I had been selected. Can I apply for a DV visa?




  • Unfortunately results previously posted on this website were not valid because the selection process was not fair or random. We will take the entries of all individuals who sent in their registration during the original October 5 to November 3, 2010 time period and run a new lottery. We regret any inconvenience or disappointment this has caused. We expect new results to be available on this website on or about July 15, 2011.



Q: How can I check the results of the new selection?




  • The new results should be available on this website on or about July 15, 2011. The confirmation code you received when you registered is still valid for use on the website.



Q: Was the Department of State hacked? Was my personal information at risk?




  • We have no evidence that this problem was caused by any intentional act. No unauthorized party accessed data related to the DV program.




  • This appears to be solely the result of a computer programming error.


Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Is USAFIS Organization legit or scam?

USAFIS Organization alerts consumers:

Every day, internet users receive emails that tells them they won a Green Card. Con artists and swindlers have found a new avenue to pitch their frauds - the Internet. Fraud is a crime!
Email makes it easier for the scammer to commit fraud. Con artists are very persuasive, using all types of excuses,
explanations, and offers to lead you away from common sense.



Beware of Imposters


There are companies posing as USAFIS wishing to scam you of your money.
The following two emails have been reported to us that are using the USAFIS name.



How do you know it is scam?



Example of e-mail scams
The following are Examples of email claiming to be from the USAFIS.
Do not reply to these emails or give them any money!





[caption id="attachment_627" align="alignnone" width="129" caption="U.S. Department of State gov.state.dv@usa.com scam e-mail"]U.S. Department of State gov.state.dv@usa.com scam e-mail[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_634" align="alignnone" width="254" caption="usafis.org usafis.net@consultant.com scam e-mail"]usafis.org [usafis.net@consultant.com] scam e-mail[/caption]

Notice!
The scammer is asking money to be wire transferred to a PRIVATE BANK ACCOUNT and not to Usafis Organization.




[caption id="attachment_630" align="alignnone" width="274" caption="Wire transfer fraud: Send Western Union payment to "24 Grosvenor Square, London, W1A 2LQ, United Kingdom""]Wire transfer fraud: Send Western Union payment to "24 Grosvenor Square,  London, W1A 2LQ,  United Kingdom"[/caption]

How do you know it is us?


USAFIS email will always have USAFIS ORGANIZATION as the beneficiary



USAFIS never asks for payment for processing:

1. U.S. visa
2. Green Card


We never include notifications that you will receive another email from outside organizations.
Only once a year (May-July) USAFIS informs its clients, selected in the U.S. Green Card Lottery program, they have won.
Once a person is selected in the program, he or she works directly with their local U.S. Embassy and not with USAFIS.



You can't buy a green card


If a person is selected by the green card lottery, the individual works directly with their local U.S.
embassy or consulate to complete the green card process. Companies trying to scam people of their money will usually claim a central U.S. embassy address of where the money is going to.



The U.S Federal Trade Commission Tips


The U.S Federal Trade Commission the nation's consumer protection agency, has warned about other companies misrepresenting their services by saying that:



  • They are affiliated with the U.S. government;

  • They have special expertise or entry form that is required to enter the lottery;

  • Their company has never had a lottery entry rejected;

  • Their company can increase an entrant's chances of "winning" the lottery;

  • People from ineligible countries still are "qualified" to enter the lottery.



Contacting the Federal Trade Commission:
If you think you are a victim of a green card lottery scam, contact the Federal
Trade Commission toll-free at 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). Source of Information:
http://www.ftc.gov



Protecting Yourself from Fraud



In addition, some companies jeopardize an entrant's opportunity to participate in
the lottery by filing several entries. These companies also may charge lottery-winning
applicants substantial fees to complete the application process.



The Federal Trade Commission says the best way to protect against green card lottery
scams is to understand how the State Department's lottery works.



  • There's no charge to enter the green card lottery. You can enter on your
    own at the State Department's Web site - www.dvlottery.state.gov.
    You'll need to answer a few questions and provide passport-style digital photographs.
    You'll get an acknowledgment from the State Department once you've submitted your
    entry.


  • Hiring a company or attorney to enter the lottery for you is your decision, but
    the person you pay will have to follow the same procedure. And your chance of being
    selected is the same whether you submit the entry or you pay someone to do it for
    you.


  • Submit only one entry. If you submit more than one, you will be disqualified.


  • Selection of entries is random. Spouses who are eligible for the DV lottery
    can apply separately; the "losing" spouse can enter the country on the Diversity
    Visa of the "winning" spouse. This is the only legitimate way to significantly increase
    your chance of entering the U.S. through the DV lottery.


  • Be alert to Web sites promising government travel or residency documents online
    or by mail.
    Except for entering the DV lottery, most applications for visas,
    passports, green cards, and other travel and residency documents must be completed
    in person before an officer of the U.S. government.


  • Be thoughtful about who you send your personal documents to. Unless you have
    an established relationship with a business, do not mail birth certificates, passports,
    drivers' licenses, marriage certificates, Social Security cards, or other documents
    with your personal identifying information to businesses promising to complete your
    application for travel or residency documents. These businesses may be engaged in
    identity theft.


  • Be skeptical of Web sites posing as U.S. government sites. They may have
    domain names similar to government agencies, official-looking emblems (eagles, flags,
    or other American images like the Statue of Liberty or the U.S. Capitol), the official
    seals or logos of - and links to - other government sites, and list Washington,
    D.C., mailing addresses. If the domain name doesn't end in ".gov," it's not a government
    site. Bogus sites may charge for government forms. Don't pay; government forms and
    instructions for completing them are available from the issuing U.S. government
    agency for free.




To file a complaint or get free information on consumer issues, visit ftc.gov or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. Watch a new video, How to File a Complaint, at ftc.gov/video to learn more. The FTC enters consumer complaints into
the Consumer Sentinel Network, a secure online database and investigative tool used by hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies
in the U.S. and abroad.




As you can see USAFIS Organization warns its consumers about scams and frauds.

If you haven't used USAFIS for participating in the DV lottery, but received "USAFIS Organization - Diversity Visa (DV) winner" and "U.S. Department of State - Permanent Resident Card for vasya pupkin" e-mails from gov.state.visa@usa.com and gov.states.visa@usa.com then this is definitely a scam.

Also note that the scammers know your name, e-mail, phone number and IP address used for application. Was this information gotten without USAFIS Organization being involved one way or another? Was USAFIS protecting customer's information properly?

Anyway there are many web-sites like USAFIS that "help" you to participate in the Diversity Visa Lottery Program for a fee. They may do what they say, BUT you can enter the DV lottery for FREE if you apply online on the official DV lottery web-site (U.S. Department of State). The application process on the www.dvlottery.state.gov is pretty simple. Even if you have any questions about it, ask you friends or ask in one of the immigration forums.

My verdict:
Stay away from companies like USAFIS. Apply on the official DV lottery web-site (U.S. Department of State) for FREE.