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PP RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHLG #0182/01 0931021
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 031021Z APR 09 ZDK ZDS
FM AMEMBASSY LILONGWE
TO RUEHSD/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0417
RUEHPNH/NVC PORTSMOUTH PRIORITY 0026
INFO RUEHJO/AMCONSUL JOHANNESBURG 0259
RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 LILONGWE 000182 
 
C O R R E C T E D COPY//MODIFIED SUBJECT LINE, ADDED PASS LINE// 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT PASS KENTUCKY CONSULAR CENTER 
DEPT FOR CA/FPP 
POSTS FOR FRAUD PREVENTION MANAGERS 
JOHANNESBURG FOR RCO MICHAEL VEASY, DHS BRETT LASSEN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: CMGT KFRD ASEC CVIS CPAS MI
SUBJECT: FRAUD SUMMARY; MALAWI SEPT 2008 - FEB 2009 
 
REF:  (A)08 STATE 074840; (B)05 STATE 205073; (C)03 STATE 340565; 
(D)00 STATE 98138; (E)07 STATE 171211; (E)07 STATE 67349; 
 
LILONGWE 00000182  001.4 OF 004 
 
 
¶1. Per reftel request, post submits the following semi-annual report 
covering the period September 2008 through February 2009. 
 
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COUNTRY CONDITIONS 
------------------ 
 
¶2. Malawi is among the world's poorest countries, with more than 
two-thirds of the population living in poverty. The HIV/AIDS 
pandemic has further deteriorated existing economic and social 
conditions in the country and has claimed the lives of nearly a 
million Malawians from all walks of life. Faced with an inefficient 
infrastructure and the difficulty of improving one's economic 
situation, Malawians often look for a better life elsewhere. The 
United States remains an attractive destination for those seeking a 
better life. 
 
¶3. Lilongwe is a medium-low fraud post. Corruption is a significant 
issue for this fledging democracy where fraud can occur at any level 
within Malawian society and government institutions.  Malawian 
passports and residency permits, along with most civil documents, 
are easy to obtain with falsified information.  This fact, coupled 
with porous borders, understaffed and ill-equipped immigration and 
law enforcement officials, makes Malawi a highly attractive target 
for mala fide travelers and immigrant traffickers. Malawian 
government officials recognize the susceptibility of their country 
to these threats, but thus far have been unable to take effective 
action to prevent fraud. 
 
--------- 
NIV FRAUD 
--------- 
 
¶4. NIV fraud is generally unsophisticated, with a sizable number of 
cases committed by third country nationals posing as Malawian 
citizens or residents.  In the past, Zimbabweans, Nigerians, 
Somalis, Pakistanis and Ethiopians have been discovered illegally 
transiting Malawi, obtaining illegitimate documents and passports 
for suspected travel to South Africa and the US.  Post has not 
detected any organized fraud in Malawi.  In any case, consular 
officers do not reply on most documentation submitted by applicants 
because of its susceptibility to fraud. 
 
¶5. During the reporting period, post detected a mala fide traveler 
through IDENT.  The applicant, a female Malawian holding a genuine 
passport, had applied twice previously, once using her true identity 
and a second time using a false identity.  Post initially had 
problems obtaining her finger prints, which we later determined was 
caused by her use of a clear synthetic material to mask her 
fingerprints.  A review of the case revealed the applicant had 
successfully obtained two genuine passports containing false 
information, in addition to her real passport.  In a similar case, 
post detected another imposter using a genuine passport also through 
IDENT.  In this later case, the applicant was an alien absconder who 
had recently been removed from the United States.  In both 
instances, the individuals were able to obtain their false identity 
passports from local immigration offices without resorting to 
bribery or malfeasance. In both cases, Consular and RSO coordinated 
their review of these cases with Malawian Immigration authorities. 
While arrests were made, both individuals were released after 48 
hours and we are not aware of any further criminal or civil 
proceedings arising from these cases. 
 
¶6.  In October 2008, Post conducted a verification study focused on 
J-1 Au Pairs. Anecdotal information, including poison pen emails, 
indicated this program was being used as an immigration avenue to 
the U.S.  The study, which focused on J-1s issued to Au Pairs during 
the period October 2005 to October 2007, revealed an overstay rate 
in excess of 90%.  Post immediately took steps to correct this 
situation including closer review of qualifications and ties along 
with discussions with the Au Pair Exchange Program Director(s) in 
Malawi and South Africa. 
 
¶7.  NIV fraud within the A and G visa categories continues to be a 
challenge. A lack of control over diplomatic notes and diplomatic 
passports has lead to a number of inappropriate requests and 
fraudulent behavior. These matters typically including sponsorship 
of individuals posing as immediate family members or requests 
dealing with an A3 or G3 for a domestic employee who is replacing 
another A3/G3 domestic employee who "disappeared" while in the 
United States. Within the reporting period, Post met with Ministry 
of Foreign Affairs Officials regarding the use and verification of 
Diplomatic Notes and the Department's guidelines regarding the 
 
LILONGWE 00000182  002.5 OF 004 
 
 
sponsorship of immediate family members for A and G visas. 
 
¶8. Post has experienced a decrease in student visa fraud in the past 
three years since the Malawi government added enhanced security 
features to Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) 
certificates (roughly equivalent to high school diplomas), making 
them less susceptible to alteration. 
 
¶9. We continue to experience a large number of travelers "sponsored" 
by various churches, religious groups and individual missionaries in 
the United States.  Given the large number of religious-related 
avenues available to travel to the United States, church affiliation 
is viewed in Malawi as an effective method to obtain a visa.  These 
travelers typically apply with someone who is clearly approvable or 
has already been to the United States and returned.  When detected, 
Post applies appropriate ineligibilities for these individuals who 
knowingly used their position and/or travel history to advance the 
applications of unqualified applicants. 
 
¶10.  Finally, we note that during the entire period of this report, 
only one NIV applicant revealed that they had a disqualifying 
communicable disease.  In a country where there is a substantial 
prevalence of disqualifying communicable diseases within the 
population at large, this may indicate that some NIV applicants are 
failing to provide accurate medical information. 
 
-------- 
IV FRAUD 
-------- 
 
¶11. IV fraud generally relates to the IV application process rather 
than the applicant's relationship to the petitioner.  Many of our IV 
cases deal with third country nationals (TCN) who reside in Malawi. 
Verification of documentation in these cases is extremely 
challenging.  Finally, due to the high prevalence of HIV/AIDS in 
Malawi, some applicants have attempted to bribe medical officials to 
obtain approved medical examinations.  To combat this trend, Post 
has identified several certified, reliable and trustworthy panel 
physicians and laboratories for medicals. 
 
-------- 
DV FRAUD 
-------- 
 
¶12. N/A. Currently Post's DV cases are handled and processed by 
Embassy Harare. Post intends to train consular staff personnel in DV 
handling and processing and will assume this responsibility from 
Embassy Harare in the next year. 
 
--------------------------- 
ACS AND U.S. PASSPORT FRAUD 
--------------------------- 
 
¶13. Post has not had any cases involving ACS or passport fraud in 
recent memory.  With our low ACS load, Post is able to give 
considerable oversight and review of our passport and CRBA cases. 
Post is currently working a citizenship case where the claimant left 
the U.S. some 30+ years ago and failed to renew the U.S. passport he 
received as an infant.  While there are no outward indicators of 
fraud at this juncture, this case illustrates the complexity of some 
of the ACS cases Post handles which require careful review and 
investigation to resolve. 
 
-------------- 
ADOPTION FRAUD 
-------------- 
 
¶14. Adoption fraud is not an issue in Malawi at this juncture. 
Malawi's restrictive adoption laws and requirements deter most 
AMCITs interested in pursuing inter-country adoptions.  Most 
adoptions cases are processed through the I-130 process and Post is 
able to undertake in-depth reviews of the documentation and the 
orphan status of the adoptee child. 
 
------------------ 
USE OF DNA TESTING 
------------------ 
 
¶15. Post did not conduct DNA testing during the reporting period. 
 
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ASYLUM AND OTHER DHS BENEFIT FRAUD 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶16. Post did not handle any asylum or DHS benefit cases during the 
reporting period. 
 
LILONGWE 00000182  003.4 OF 004 
 
 
 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
ALIEN SMUGGLING, TRAFFICKING, ORGANIZED CRIME, AND TERRORIST TRAVEL 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
¶17. Post's immigration and police contacts report that Somali, 
Eritrean Congolese, (DRC) and Ethiopians use Malawi as a rest point 
enroute to South Africa. Smugglers reportedly charging each alien 
the equivalent of $1400 U.S. dollars. Post has also noticed alien 
smuggling attempts through the NIV process.  These attempts 
typically involve diplomatic notes for unqualified applicants or the 
sponsorship of these applicants by well-regarded AMCITs who served 
in Malawi as missionaries or with NGOs. 
 
-------------------------------- 
DS CRIMINAL FRAUD INVESTIGATIONS 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶18. The Regional Security Office and Consular Section have a strong 
working relationship and have frequently collaborated on cases and 
issues of concern.  Most recently, RSO and Consular worked together 
on two cases of identity imposters. 
 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
HOST COUNTRY PASSPORTS, IDENTITY DOCUMENTS, AND CIVIL REGISTRY 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
¶19. Malawi's primary identity documents (passports, birth 
certificates, etc.) create the biggest challenge for Post's fraud 
prevention efforts. Genuine documents containing fraudulent 
information are the biggest threat.  Most documents are easily 
obtained by applicants from any area or level of socio-economic 
statute. Birth certificates, death certificates, and marriage 
certificates are often created many years after the event and merely 
reflect the attestation of the individual requesting the document. 
Malawi's lack of document controls means that corruption and bribery 
are not essential to receive any new document desired. 
 
¶20. In a meeting held in February 2009, the Commissioner of 
Immigration indicated that Malawi plans to introduce biometrics (a 
thumb print) in its passports in the near future.  The Commissioner 
of Immigration also agreed to share information in cases involving 
passport fraud, Malawi visas, and residence and work permits. The 
Consular staff continues to work closely with immigration officials 
to investigate fraud and report the authenticity of these 
documents. 
 
-------------------------------------------- 
COOPERATION WITH HOST GOVERNMENT AUTHORITIES 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶21. Post has received satisfactory cooperation from host country 
counterparts.  While Malawian Immigration and Police Official have 
been very cooperative with our requests to verify documents and 
cooperate with investigations, Malawi does not have the resources, 
training or expertise to counter the gaps in the security of their 
identity documents. 
 
--------------------------- 
AREAS OF PARTICULAR CONCERN 
--------------------------- 
 
¶22. The availability of genuine identity documents using false 
information is of significant concern.  Malawi's porous borders and 
its location as a transit route in proximity to other East African 
nations known to harbor terrorists and criminals raise the specter 
of these undesirables obtaining U.S. visas or passports through 
fraud. 
 
--------------------- 
STAFFING AND TRAINING 
--------------------- 
 
¶23. Post's Consular Section consists of one Consular Officer, one 
EFM and one LES - there is no dedicated FPU.  The Consul has 
extensive experience and recently attended FSI's Advanced Consular 
Course, and has previously attended FSI's Analytic Interviewing and 
Advanced Consular Namechecking Techniques courses. 
 
¶24. The LES Consular Assistant is designated the fraud investigator 
for the consular section and has received OJT.  This LES (along with 
Consul) have developed excellent working relations with the local 
and national-level Malawi authorities including Immigration, Police, 
Airlines representatives, the Malawi National examination and 
Testing Board (MANEB). The LES Consular Assistant has not received 
any formal fraud training, but will be nominated for FSI's FSN Fraud 
 
LILONGWE 00000182  004.4 OF 004 
 
 
course convening in September 2009. 
 
SULLIVAN