Money not requested

by Russell
(Thomasville NC USA)

I got a wink on match.com from a profile that said she was 27 years old and local and ended up being from a Russian woman in Vologda Russia. I responded and was instantly told I was too old for her (I am 54) and have teenage kids. I made a joke about age and we have been emailing back and forth at a Yahoo address she provided. She has in one month begun calling me lovely man and her "sun". She has sent many pictures that though out and about in a city park or on amusement rides look "posed". In one picture she was standing by a piano with a statue of liberty replica in a corner and pictures of Broadway plays framed on the wall. She has included pictures of her mother by a Christmas tree. I made it very clear I had no money to travel to her or to bring her to me. She stated recently she has applied for a visa and that she would pay her own way. Then came the letter that she could not afford the flight and I made no more mention of her coming. I recently got another email that she has already paid the travel agency the cost to come and wants the name of an airport and the city it is in to finalize the trip. Stating it would be in another couple of weeks before all money would be paid by her. I am concerned if she gets here she is looking for a way to stay in America, but also want that one in a million chance of something actually going right. I will not give her money no matter what comes up but her letter asking for a destination point put me on my heels. What say the experts?


Bob's Answer:

Sorry to be the voice of reason, but this is a very typical scam. The analyses of all the clues in her pictures is good, but the real thing you need to know is that this whole "I already applied for a visa, I will pay for my own expenses, and I only need you to tell me what city to fly to" thing is very cookie-cutter, and has holes all over it.

First, 99.9% chance she CAN'T get a tourist visa. The U.S. just doesn't grant visas to Russian/Ukrainian women that easily. And the whole matter of her paying her expenses to get here... that's just to disarm your suspicions. Before she gets here she's going to have some cash flow crisis that prevents her from being able to pay the balance she still owes, or something like that. That request will probably be some seriously urgent situation... She's already at the airport, went to the counter to pay for the balance of her ticket, but her bank card malfunctioned. But she's SOOOO EAGER to see you, if you could just wire her the $300 balance she'll be able to repay it by the time she lands in your city... she's already contacted her bank and they assured her the problem will be resolved very quickly (but not before her scheduled flight).

I guarantee it'll work something like that.

But the Russian/Ukrainian women thing is REAL. Go read my home page here, and then especially Why Russian Women?.

I can't help but believe that after searching for locals on Match the Russian/Ukrainian options could start to look like a good deal :)