Internet Scam Series – Russian Dating

Beware of these – typically how the scam works is she will claim to have meant you via social network or random email. She will either offer her email or if has access to yours send you a letter outlining her history and background. Also Sooner or later expect a picture. Once she gains your confidence she will morph her story to that of a challenge and her needing money for free herself from the situation – abusive marriage, boyfriend, school, debt, etc. 

There are variants of the scam but usually she tries to gain your confidence, promise her affection, marriage or sex (sometimes) but all sooner or later lead to a request for financial assistance. The types of scammers: 

1. Visa and Tickets Scammer
   
2. An Unscrupulous or Fake Marriage / Translation Agency
   
3. Vacation Hunters
   
4. Pro-Dater
   
5. Accommodation Scam
   
6. Bigger Better Deal (BBD) Hunter
   
7. Green Card Hunter / Gold Digger 
   

Once you sent the money and when there is no more to give they will disappear. (Note: This is a well know foreign scam but domestic versions of the scam also exist – lost child, money for medical aid, etc.) Below is a real letter sent to me as an example and beneath that links to resources to spot Russian dating scams. 

Hello my new friend!

Your electronic address to me a distance in agency of acquaintances! I hope that our correspondence will be nice for each of us! It’s first time for me when I decided to meet with the man through the Internet. May be you will have a question why I do so. I was disappointed in Russian men. I think most of them very false and deceptive. But I believe that everyone of us make its happiness yourself. I believe that one day I meet my love and I’ll love him forever. Now I want to tell you about myself. My name is Juliya. It’s very popular Russian name. 

I was born at 20th of March 1980. I was born in town Omsk, Russia and I live here all my life! It ` s very nice provincial town. 

It ` s not very big but very beautiful. I have never been abroad. And I even never been in other town of Russia. I want to travel and learn interesting things and parts of country and all world. 

And do you like traveling? Hope you understand my English. It’s not my native language. I learnt it in the school and University and now I learn it myself at home! At University I studied Economy and I have the diploma of Economist. I studied in Omsk State Technical University. But in our town it ` s very difficult to find a good job and I sell shoes in shoes shop. I like my work and I do it with pleasure. Where do you work? Do you like your work? I work five days in week. On Saturday and Sunday I do work at home, go for a walk, cook, read books and have a rest. Do you have hobby? Do you like reading books? I like Russian Classics such as Michael Bulgakov, Lev Tolstoy, Aleksandr Pushkin. Have you heard about it? Now I read very interesting book " Anna Karenina " written by Lev Tolstoy. I think that books teaches us how to live right and we can see very good advices there. Oh, I forgot about time, I don ` t have computer at my home and I write you from Internet Cafe. Tomorrow I’ll come to check my e-mail again. I hope to see letter from you soon!!!

P. S. Do you like my photo? Please send me your photos, I’ll be very glad to get them! 

Bye!!!

Your friend from Russia Juliya.

 

You get a letter like this. Soon the conversation will switch from dating to money and how they need help. They will ask you to send money and will never agree to meet will even talk about wanting to marry you and how special you are...avoid this scam also. Usually when you are sent the email a picture will be included....best to just delete email. 

• Russian Scam Resource link 1
  
• Russian Scam Resource link 2