Is Top Tour really a travel agency and can I contact them directly?

by KC
(Illinois )

I've been talking to a Russian girl named Olga and she wants to come to America to stay. I told her that would be great but I couldn't pay for any of it. After a couple weeks she said she went through all the steps but was $450 short and I said sorry I didn't have enough information on her or facts to give any money. She then gave me the Top Tour email address and what appears to be a phone number and said I could get the remaining info of what she already paid. I thought for sure it was a scam and then she actually called me on the phone and we only talked for a couple minutes before getting cut off. My cell phone just said unknown caller. Do you know or anyone else know of her?
Is this a guaranteed scam?

Bob's Reply:

This is a guaranteed scam.

Let's just start with the first, most inescapable, unavoidable fact: Someone you DON'T KNOW (come on, at least admit you don't know her) has some twisty turny reason they need you to send them unrefundable money.

If that doesn't do it, then lets add that if an allegedly Russian/Ukrainian woman you have never met in person supposedly has (or can get) a visa to come visit you (and WANTS to come visit you), it s a scam. If that much is true I really don't need to know any more.

It doesn't matter that she called you. It doesn't matter that there's some supposed "tour company". Even if you can contact them it's fake. I guarantee it.

If you send the $450, then there will be a "game day" problem... The day of the flight "she" (it's probably really "Boris") will contact you in an urgent crisis saying that they will not let her leave unless she leaves a deposit ensuring her return, or can show cash to demonstrate that she can afford the trip, etc. If you send that, there will be something else.