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RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA 0889-0891
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 4772-4774
RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES 8062-8064
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RUEHSN/AMEMBASSY SAN SALVADOR 4446-4448
RUEHSG/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO 00392-0394
RUEHSO/AMCONSUL SAO PAULO 0049-0051
RUEHTG/AMEMBASSY TEGUCIGALPA 5928-5930
INFO RUEHPNH/NVC PORTSMOUTH 2817-2819

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 STATE 116234 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
C O R R E C T E D COPY CAPTION 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: CMGT CASC CPAS CVIS KFRD
SUBJECT: CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA FRAUD PREVENTION 
         MANAGERS CONFERENCE 2009 
 
STATE 00116234  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
¶1.  (U) SUMMARY:  The Miami Passport Agency hosted a conference for 
Fraud Prevention Managers (FPMs) assigned to posts in South and 
Central America from September 15 - 17, 2009.  The conference 
included 40 attendees from 19 different posts, the Department of 
Labor, the Department of Homeland Security's Citizenship and 
Immigration Services (DHS/CIS) Vermont Service Center, the Human 
Smuggling and Trafficking Center (HSTC), the DHS/CIS Office of Fraud 
Detection and National Security (FDNS), the DHS Customs and Border 
Protection (DHS/CBP) Miami Airport Office, and several Diplomatic 
Security (DS) and Consular Affairs (CA) offices, including DS's Visa 
and Passport Analysis Unit (VPA).  Conference participants shared 
information on regional and international fraud trends and provided 
posts new ideas and best practices in tackling fraud.  Presentations 
covered Fraud Prevention Unit (FPU) best practices, nonimmigrant visa 
(NIV) and immigrant visa (IV) petition processing and fraud 
prevention, child smuggling, fraud prevention outreach and public 
diplomacy, marriage/relationship schemes, passport and American 
Citizen Services deception, and preventing consular malfeasance.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
-------------------------- 
CA Shares New Developments 
-------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (U) CA Assistant Secretary Janice Jacobs, as well as other CA 
presenters, shared new technological developments that promise to 
enhance posts' fraud prevention efforts, including the Consular 
Electronic Applications Center, the Consular Case Management Service, 
the Global Visa System, the Global Citizen Services system, and 
Global Watch Phrase.  A/S Jacobs challenged posts to respond to the 
reduction in dependence on paper applications by developing new ways 
to counter fraud.  Participants welcomed the news that CA is working 
on integrating DHS's Arrival Departure Information System into the 
NIV System. 
 
¶3.  (U) Several officers thanked A/S Jacobs for the revamped 
worldwide visa referral policy, but noted that they still have 
difficulties with referrers reluctant to follow the procedures or who 
insist on making inquiries and applying pressure regarding refused 
cases.  A/S Jacobs stressed that consular officers have sole 
authority to grant visas, stating "What we do is grounded in law.  It 
is not a policy; it is not a deliverable; it is not a gift."  She 
emphasized that the Deputy Chief of Mission and Front Office at post 
are obligated to support consular efforts in managing the referral 
program, lessening the need for consular managers to face direct 
conflict with other section heads.  An online course for referrers is 
currently under development by the Visa Office and will be available 
next year.  (Please read the newly amended referral policy contained 
in State 115658) 
 
¶4.  (U) Echoing the comments from A/S Jacobs on consular authority 
and integrity, the Director of the Office of Fraud Prevention 
Programs' Consular Integrity Division (CA/FPP/CID) emphasized the 
need to curb supervisory overcomes of visa refusals.  He also 
reminded posts that they must prevent manipulation of the appointment 
system and strictly adhere to a system transparent to the public.  He 
discussed other problem areas, including conflict of interest cases 
where officers fail to properly recuse themselves, and cashier 
malfeasance cases involving "refunds" made to the cashiers 
themselves. 
 
---------------------------------------- 
Fraud Prevention Techniques and Outreach 
 
STATE 00116234  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Representatives from several posts discussed methods used 
to maintain an efficient FPU and to uncover fraud or child smuggling 
rings.  Rio de Janeiro's FPM recommended that the FPU be active and 
visible in all consular units, and to instruct all officers in the 
working of post's fraud standard operating procedures and case 
referral and tracking processes.  Representatives from Sao Paolo and 
Guayaquil recommended pre-screening families using the NIV System's 
"Group" function, conducting Text Searches on family members, and 
monitoring and mining appointment list data to help thwart visa 
fixers and smuggling rings. 
 
¶6.  (U) FPMs from Buenos Aires and San Salvador discussed their use 
of anti-fraud public diplomacy and effective contact-building 
techniques.  San Salvador's multi-pronged media campaign seeks to 
shift the Embassy's perceived message from "don't break the law" to 
"don't get fooled," and also takes advantage of technological 
resources such as webchats, Facebook, and "Ask the Consul" columns to 
reinforce the message.  The FPM from Buenos Aires recommended that 
FPMs use courtesy calls, social events, working groups, and training 
opportunities to foster relationships with other Embassy and host 
government officials, airline personnel, and other USG offices such 
as the Regional Security Office, the Legal Attache, the Drug 
Enforcement Administration, or DHS's Immigration and Customs 
Enforcement. 
----------------------------------------- 
NIV and IV Petition Processing and Trends 
----------------------------------------- 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Participants particularly enjoyed the opportunity to hear 
from the agencies and offices handling NIV and IV petitions. 
Representatives from the Department of Labor's Wage and Hour 
Division, DHS/CIS's Vermont Service Center (VSC) Adjudications and 
Fraud Detection Unit, and the Headquarters Office of FDNS discussed 
typical labor violations and H (temporary worker) and L (intracompany 
transfer) visa fraud trends.  These trends included failure of 
petitioners to pay the required wage rate, failure to provide a labor 
certification authorization for the current job location, improper 
passing of fees to the beneficiary, and fraudulent or forged 
documents and qualifications.  FDNS reported that recent studies 
showed 34 percent of L visa fraud originated in South America, 
particularly Venezuela, Colombia, and Brazil.  Representatives from 
posts in those countries agreed with the assessment.  DHS/CIS 
attendees indicated that consular officer case notes in the CCD are 
invaluable in helping them evaluate visa petition revocations and to 
corroborate statements from tourist visitors requesting an extension 
of stay.  The Kentucky Consular Center FPM gave tips on effective 
revocation memo writing and informed posts that they can report labor 
violation complaints without a revocation request. 
 
¶8.  (U) The National Visa Center (NVC) FPM discussed NVC's fraud 
prevention methods, noting that fiance visas are particularly 
scrutinized.  The FPM also encouraged posts to send adverse 
information on cases not yet received at post to NVC for inclusion in 
their fraud lookout system. 
 
¶9.  (SBU) Outlining trends in Colombian marriage and relationship 
fraud, Bogota's FPM observed that IV officers evaluating cases for 
fraud look at frequency of petitioner's travel to Colombia, 
differences in age and social strata, and flimsy or staged evidence 
of the relationship.  Bogota has also seen increased relationship 
fraud in NIV, and uses the "Group" feature in the NIV System to help 
track related cases, focusing attention on the timing of purported 
marriages.  As prosecutors typically will not accept cases involving 
a small number of affected parties, DHS/CIS VSC representatives 
appealed to posts to seek connections between IV cases that would 
bring them to a prosecutable threshold.  Posts noted frustration with 
bureaucratic obstacles to petition revocation in cases where they 
have determined that a sham marriage exists.  Offices in Washington 
are currently discussing this issue with DHS/CIS. 
 
 
STATE 00116234  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
---------------------- 
Passport and ACS Fraud 
---------------------- 
 
¶10.  (SBU) CA/FPP and Miami Passport Agency's FPM noted similarities 
in domestic and overseas passport fraud trends.  Although use of 
counterfeit documents has decreased, impostor fraud has been on the 
rise.  Commonly cited passport fraud indicators included recently 
dated breeder documents, non-family emergency contacts, and missing 
or limited information 
 
----------------------------------------- 
Smuggling/Trafficking and Law Enforcement 
----------------------------------------- 
 
¶11.  (U) DS's VPA representative highlighted successes and benefits 
of the Assistant Regional Security Officer - Investigator (ARSO-I) 
Program, and described the work of the VPA in providing strategic, 
operational, and tactical support in combating visa and passport 
fraud. 
 
¶12.  (U) The HSTC's presentation discussed the latest regional human 
smuggling and trafficking trends.  The presentation also offered 
suggestions for anti-trafficking interviewing techniques. 
 
¶13.  (SBU) Conference participants found particularly interesting the 
presentation by three officers from DHS/CBP's Miami Airport Office. 
DHS/CBP has 400 officers at the Miami airport, where they process 
almost 28,000 international passengers per day.  The officers noted 
that some airlines provide a high level of cooperation, thus keeping 
out malafide passengers, while others refuse training and continually 
board passengers with fraudulent documents.  The DHS/CBP Officers 
reported that the 2000 - 2001 Teslin visas are a favorite for 
fraudulent use through washing of the visa data and subsequent 
reprinting with false information. 
 
------- 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶14.  (U) Attendee feedback indicated that the conference was a 
success, with participants appreciating the broad range of USG agency 
participation and the opportunity to network and share information 
with colleagues.  Best practice recommendations from conference 
attendees included writing notes in all issuance and refusal NIV 
cases, taking sworn statements when fraud is admitted, submitting 
thoroughly researched and timely petition revocation requests, and 
seeking Front Office support in dealing with improper referrals and 
inappropriate inquiries on visa cases.  Participants expressed a 
desire for additional assistance when dealing with close facial 
recognition matches (recommending that a CA office be designated as 
the point of referral for assistance), procedures for handling 
reaffirmed IV petitions, and guidance for entering American citizen 
impostors into the Consular Lookout and Support System.  Conference 
participants have reported that they began collaboration with other 
conference attendees immediately, and that they have already provided 
new training to officers and staff based on information learned in 
Miami. 
¶15.  (U) CA/FPP is following-up with relevant CA offices on 
participant suggestions and will provide updates when available. 
Materials presented at the conference are available on CA FPP's 
Intranet website. 
CLINTON