VZCZCXRO3177
RR RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHDK #2117/01 3031632
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 301632Z OCT 07
FM AMEMBASSY DAKAR
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9461
INFO RUEHPNH/NVC PORTSMOUTH 0910
RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DAKAR 002117 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR CA/FPP 
DEPT PASS TO KCC 
PARIS FOR DHS/ICE 
ECOWAS POSTS FOR FRAUD PREVENTION MANAGERS 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: CVIS KFRD CPAS CMGT ASEC KSTC SG
SUBJECT: DAKAR FRAUD SUMMARY - THIRD AND FOURTH QUARTERS FY2007 
 
REF: A) 05 STATE 205073; B) 07 Dakar 0355 
 
¶1.  Following is Embassy Dakar's quarterly fraud reporting cable for 
the third and fourth quarters (April-September) of FY2007. 
Responses are keyed to Ref A. 
 
¶A.  COUNTRY CONDITIONS: Since the last report, the energy crisis has 
resurfaced, with sporadic daily blackouts, which affect the economic 
performance of the country.  Senegalese have resumed their 
clandestine journeys to Spain via Mauritania and Morocco, despite 
the implementation of Spain's guest worker program.  The economic 
situation has deteriorated to such a point that the government had 
to impose price controls on basic staples such as bread. 
 
The political situation is characterized by an absence of a 
political discourse between the opposition and the president. The 
opposition has called for a dialogue to discuss reforms in the 
electoral law as well as in the economic sector.  President Wade has 
reestablished the Senate, appointing 65 out of its 100 members, and 
his party enjoys an overwhelming majority in both legislative 
chambers. The lack of checks and balances and the increased 
concentration of power is a concern for civil society. 
 
¶B.  NONIMMIGRANT (NIV) FRAUD: There has been an increase in the 
number of reported lost Senegalese passports with valid B1/B2 visas. 
 Nine were reported stolen during the last two quarters. 
 
Post has started seeing F-1 student visa applicants who went to the 
United States with tourist visas and subsequently stayed and 
attended primary and secondary schools at taxpayer expense. 
 
In addition, there have been several cases of NIV applicants who 
applied with apparently fraudulent Senegalese identities. After they 
were refused on 214(b) grounds, IDENT revealed that they had been 
previously refused in Banjul using Gambian documents and a different 
identity. 
 
¶C.  IMMIGRANT VISA (IV) FRAUD: The identity of Sierra Leonean 
applicants continues to be a serious concern, as it appears 
relatively easy for individuals to obtain delayed birth certificates 
under new names and dates of birth.  Delayed death certificates are 
also common.  In high-priority cases, Post requests that Embassy 
Freetown undertake field investigations in order to confirm 
identities and qualifying relationships. 
 
Post has encountered several recent cases of problematic IR-2 
petitions filed by stepmothers.  Often, the biological father's 
archived nonimmigrant visa application reveals that he was married 
to the children's biological mother when he obtained a tourist visa 
and departed definitively for the States. Once in the United States, 
he enters into a fraudulent marriage with an American citizen 
without terminating his previous marriage.  The American stepparent, 
unaware of the fraud, files a petition in good faith on behalf of 
her alleged stepchildren.  In several of these instances, the 
children's biological mother is a likely accomplice, later 
attempting to obtain a tourist visa to rejoin her husband in the 
United States. 
 
Post has also identified one case in which fake DNA results were 
submitted to DHS in support of petition approval.  Petitioners, and 
those assisting them, have become aware that Post must accept DNA 
results attached to their petitions.  The fraud would have gone 
unnoticed had not an IDENT hit revealed that the applicant had a 
pending immigrant visa application under a different name and date 
of birth.  Upon close scrutiny, Post found that the DNA results 
attached to the petition was a "copy and paste job."  Post is 
presently investigating the non-profit organization that completed 
the petition to find out if its name is associated with other 
petitions. 
 
¶D.  DV FRAUD: DV processing continues to be complicated by the fact 
that Post cannot rely on the authenticity of Guinean civil 
documents. 
 
¶E.  ACS AND PASSPORT FRAUD: No change. 
 
¶F.  ADOPTION FRAUD: No change. 
 
¶G.  ASYLUM AND OTHER DHS BENEFITS FRAUD: No change. 
 
¶H.  COOPERATION WITH HOST GOVERNMENT AUTHORITIES: No change. 
 
¶I.  AREA OF PARTICULAR CONCERN: No change. 
 
¶J.  STAFFING AND TRAINING: The Fraud Prevention Coordinator, a 
Consular Associate, attended the Fraud Prevention for Consular 
 
DAKAR 00002117  002 OF 002 
 
 
Managers class in October.  The training will be very beneficial to 
Post.  In addition, our Fraud Investigator will be attending the 
Fraud Prevention FSN training in November.  Jim Loveland, the new 
Consular Section Chief, has arrived at Post and will function as 
Fraud Prevention Manager. 
 
Smith