Story highlights A scam in Iraq apparently asks U.S. visa lottery applicants to send money up front

The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad issues a warning saying visa applications are free

Each year 55,000 visas are given out worldwide in a random drawing

The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad is warning Iraqis who want to enter the annual visa lottery to be wary of a scam that instructs applicants to send money via Western Union to someone apparently at the U.S. Embassy in London.

"UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES should money be sent to any address for participation in the DV program," the embassy warns in its statement.

The Diversity Visa program offers up to 55,000 visas worldwide each year to applicants "drawn from random selection among all entries to persons who meet strict eligibility requirements from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States," according to the State Department website. The winners get green cards, meaning they are permanent residents of the U.S.