VZCZCXRO8281
RR RUEHIK
DE RUEHPG #0632 2961303
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 231303Z OCT 09
FM AMEMBASSY PRAGUE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1853
RUEHPNH/NVC PORTSMOUTH
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE
RUEHFT/AMCONSUL FRANKFURT 2441

UNCLAS PRAGUE 000632 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: KFRD CVIS CPAS CMGT ASEC EZ
SUBJECT:  OCTOBER 2009 FRAUD SUMMARY - PRAGUE 
 
¶1.  (U) SUMMARY:  Country conditions in the Czech Republic have 
reacted to the financial crisis but the Czech financial system 
remains relatively healthy.  Public debt is low, the current account 
is small and manageable, and Czech households have not borrowed in 
foreign currency.  The small, open, export-oriented Czech real 
economy, however, is suffering from a significant drop in external 
demand for Czech exports.  The car industry, which together with its 
suppliers makes up roughly 20 percent of manufacturing, has been 
especially hard hit as has the crystal and glass industry.  GDP is 
expected to contract by between 4 and 5 percent in 2009 and 
experience only modest growth in 2010.  Unemployment which had 
fallen to record lows in the summer a year ago is expected to 
continue to increase and could reach 10 percent by the end of the 
year. Adjudicators are taking the worsening economic situation into 
consideration during interviews, as nationals from several other 
countries are employed in the Czech Republic. 
¶A. (U) NIV Fraud:  The Czech Republic joined the Visa Waiver Program 
on November 17, 2008.  According to statistics from DHS, Czechs are 
vigorously utilizing VWP - since joining VWP twice as many Czechs 
have applied for ESTA authorizations than applied for visas during 
the same period the previous (non-VWP) year. 
The Czech Republic's accession to VWP has caused Post's applicant 
pool to narrow to mostly ESTA refusals, students, summer work and 
travel, crew members, petition-based visas and third-country 
nationals.  Slovaks are the largest pool of TCNs, with Russians, 
Poles, Ukrainians, and Vietnamese rounding out the top five.  Post 
has not observed clear fraud indicators in NIV cases, other than 
inflated financials and exaggerated employment. 
NIV Validation Study 
Third country nationals are a large proportion of Post's NIV 
caseload.  TCNs are exceedingly prominent in our applicant pool.  We 
anticipate two large scale validity studies; one focusing on J visa 
student travelers issued over the past summer and a second focused 
on TCNs.  Post now has access to ADIS, text search for FSNs, as well 
as commercial tools available.  Results will be submitted SEPTEL. 
¶B. (U) IV Fraud 
Post has not identified IV fraud. 
¶C. (U) DV Fraud 
Post has not identified DV fraud. 
¶D. (U) ACS and Passport Fraud 
Post has not identified no ACS or passport fraud. 
¶E. (U) Adoption Fraud 
Post processes virtually no adoption cases, none in over 18 months. 
¶F. (U) Use of DNA Testing 
Post has not used DNA testing in the past year. 
¶G. (U) Asylum and Other DHS Benefits Fraud 
Post has not identified Asylum or DHS Benefits fraud. 
¶H. (U) Alien Smuggling, Trafficking, Organized Crime, Terrorist 
Travel 
The Consular Section occasionally has applicants that Post believes 
may be involved in organized crime.  The Consular Section works 
closely with RSO, LEGATT and other offices in evaluating suspicious 
applicants. 
¶I. (U) DS Criminal Fraud Investigations 
The Consular Section has excellent relations with Diplomatic 
Security and has referred numerous suspicious applicants.  DS has 
opened cases on four of them; one has thus far been cleared. 
¶J. (U) Host Country Passport, Identity Documents, and Civil 
Registry 
The Czech Republic has issued biometric passports since September 
¶2006. These passports meet both EU and ICAO security standards. Post 
has not identified any other document fraud. 
¶K. (U) Cooperation with Host Government Authorities 
Post has an excellent relationship with host country government 
officials. 
¶L. (U) Areas of Particular Concern 
None. 
 
THOMPSON-JONES