17.09.2024 - The NCSC receives many reports of private sector providers offering to help people access government services for a fee. However, these providers usually do very little: their service consists of transferring your data from the form on their website to the official form on the government website. These kinds of scams are common for ordering criminal records extracts or motorway tax stickers. Last week, two cases were reported to the NCSC that have to do with travel to the USA.
An official-looking ESTA form under a .org domain
Under the Visa Waiver Program, travellers to the USA must fill out an Electronic System for Travel Authorization form (ESTA form). This applies to non-US citizens traveling to the US from a Visa Waiver Program country. With ESTA, travellers can stay in the USA for up to 90 days at a time without a visa. Unfortunately, there are scammers out there who take advantage of this to deceive and make money from unsuspecting travellers. They set up official-looking websites that charge excessive fees for processing ESTA applications, or that steal applicants' personal information, which can lead to identity theft.
Just such a case was reported to us last week: the victim used a search engine to find what they believed was the official ESTA website, but was in fact a fake site. As we reported last week, criminals use a variety of tricks to ensure that their websites appear at the top of the search results list. The fake website the victim landed on contained official US government emblems and was registered under a .org domain.
Many internet users still believe that .org domains are particularly trustworthy, but that is no longer the case. Today, anyone can register a website under a .org domain. In the past, .org domains were intended for non-commercial organisations, but today there are no such restrictions. This means that non-profit organisations, commercial companies and private individuals can register under a .org domain. Caution is therefore advised.
In the case reported to the NCSC, the scammers charged the victim a whopping USD 121 – much more than the official application fee of USD 21. Fortunately, following a complaint, the money was refunded and the victim suffered no financial loss. However, it is unclear what will happen to the data provided by the victim, whether it will be deleted or used for other purposes.
Green Card fraud – the devil's in the details
In addition to the ESTA Programme, the Green Card programme also serves as a backdrop for fraud. The Green Card Lottery is a US government programme that awards immigration visas to selected applicants. In one case reported to us last week, a person seeking information about the Green Card programme entered their telephone number on a supposed information website. They were contacted by phone shortly afterwards. The caller introduced himself as a US immigration expert and offered to help them navigate the process. He provided information about the Green Card process that was generally accurate. This allowed him to gain the victim's trust. However, the scammer deliberately twisted a crucial part of the Green Card application process: there is a mandatory medical examination, which must be paid for by the applicant and performed by an accredited doctor. The scammer falsely stated that this medical examination had to be paid for in advance – to his bank account. After paying, the victim heard nothing more from the supposed expert and the money was gone.
Recommendations
- If you are looking for a service that is provided by a public authority, always make sure you are on the official website.
- You should also be careful when using search engines: advertising links are often displayed before the actual search results. They are usually labelled as 'sponsored'.
- If in doubt, contact the embassy or consulate of the country in question for further information.
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Last modification 17.09.2024
