Russian Mail Order Bride Scam

Anyone who has experienced online dating probably knows about a very popular Foreign-mail-order-bride scam. It all begins like this: You (as a man) sign up for a dating site, such as Match.com or any other site for this matter. All of a sudden you receive a wink from a young attractive woman who appears to live out of state. If you wink back at her, you pretty much immediately receive an e-mail which includes her “direct” e-mail address and instructions to e-mail her directly. The e-mail address is always a “disposable” one such as free yahoo, hotmail or g-mail account.

I have recently encountered quite a few “scammers” while helping a male friend set up his account on a dating site. As soon as his dating profile was up, he received three or four winks from attractive women in their twenties. My friend is in his late forties. Of course, he was flattered and winked back at the women that sent him winks. The only question remained, why would a good-looking woman such as those who winked look for love out of her state of residence. Even though my friend is an attractive man, if you are in Texas or Florida, can’t you find someone closer to home?



All of the three women that he had winked back at immediately contacted him by e-mail. All of their e-mails sounded the same, with little variations. They all proclaimed to be single (never married), had no kids and were looking for their soul mate. All of them instructed my friend on how to contact them at their yahoo, gmail, or hotmail e-mail. Although it was pretty obvious at that point that all of them were scams, we decided to respond to one of them. Here is the original text of the e-mail my friend received on Match.com

I hope that you have sincerely written your profile and I very much would like to get acquainted with you. I hope that you will not be against our dialogue and my company. Or you against? I very much would like to find out more about you and I with pleasure will answer all your questions and I will send my photos. How is your mood today? I am in good mood and if you are not, then write me and I will make all to change it. If good that can has fun together? How you think? I do not know how soon you will answer me, maybe you have a lot of messages from girls like me? But I will wait for your letter on "yulnaumo" "gmail" "com". I hope that I will receive your answer soon. If you do not wish to communicate with me that tell it to me, but I hope that you will write to me on "yulnaumo" at "gmail" dot "com" I already miss and wait, forgive if what not so. I simply worry very much....
Dreaming Of You

What we did not realize was that by responding to the scammer’s disposable e-mail, we had triggered a chain of never ending e-mails piling up in my friend‘s personal e-mail box. Here is how they started.

The first e-mail stated:

Hello My New Friend !!!!!
I am glad to receive your letter. I thought of that you will write to me or will not write and looked forward your letter. And I am glad when have received it. I the first time get acquainted on the Internet, I looked on profile which to me a distance at a site of acquaintances both have seen you. Also has decided to write to you. I hope that you have understood my first message. I search for the man for the further attitudes. my name is Yulya. To me of 27 years, I was never married. At me normal character, I live in mum in apartment. My village is called Lum. It in the Kirov area. Except mum, the grandmother and the girlfriend I was not present close people. The father I never saw also mother speaks of nothing about it. as whom you work? I nurse in our hospital. I love the work. I do not know what to tell about myself. you can tell about yourself more? I wish to know much about you. Why you have solved gets acquainted in the Internet? What do you search in the girl? What character at you? How you like to have a rest? I with pleasure will answer your questions. Ask also I will tell about itself. I simply do not know what to tell. What it is interesting to you? I hope that you will write to me tomorrow. I send you a photo on I in this photo I walk near park which is in our city. I hope that tomorrow I will come in the Internet of cafe and I will receive your letter and your new photo. You will send them to me? I will wait you letter on my e-mail.
Your new girlfriend Yuliya.



At this point it was more than obvious it was a scam. Naturally, my friend ignored the e-mail. However, the following day he received another e-mail from the scammer:

I wait for your letter. I hope, that you will write soon, and
our acquaintance will proceed. I very much wish to learn about you
because you like me. I hope, that as soon as you will receive my
letter, you will answer me.
Yuliya.

This e-mail went without a response. But sure enough, the next day there was another one waiting:

As you? What with you? I hope, that all is good. I have come to
the Internet of cafe, but your letter is not present. Today on work
was a lot of work. I am very tired and hoped, that I shall receive
your letter, and my mood will rise. But you likely have not had time
to receive my letter still. I shall wait for your answer. I hope that
at you all well.
Yuliya.

This e-mail followed by another one the following day:

I wait your letter of half an hour. But nothing has received.
Likely you cannot write to me now. But I shall wait for your letter. I
hope, that a problem from for which you could not write to me soon, to
be solved, and you will write to me. You will write to me ???
Yuliya.

We wanted to see how much longer it will take the scammer to realize it was time he (or she) moved on. But his tenacity was unbelievable. Many e-mails went unanswered before my friend decided to respond. Here is what he said in his response:

you are quite persistent, aren't you? How's this Internet dating going for ya? Truth be told, I am looking to meet people I can date. You know what dating means? Going out to dinner, movies, doing things together, etc. You being from who knows where, what is your thought process?

At this point the e-mails stopped, but only to be followed by another one two weeks later:

Hello !!!!!!!
How your day? What did you do today? I hope, that you feel well and at
you all is normal. I waited all the day long for your letter and right
after work today have come to the cafe Internet what to receive your
letter.
I am rather constant.
I send you the photo, on which I in village at the grandmother.
It is pleasant to you washing a photo? I hope what yes. At me today it
is a lot of questions to you. I want serious relations and at once I
wish to warn you. I do not wish to play game and if you wish to play
simply with me, or communicate with me for the sake of a photo that I,
I think that to us is necessary to stop our dialogue. I wish to learn
you more and better. I too will not hide from you anything and I will
inform everything, that you ask.
, I hope, that I do not need to describe myself in detail, you
saw me on a photo. I will send them to you often, that you could learn
is better me. My growth 175 sm (5 ' 7), weight 54 kg (120lbs). A
breast, a waist and hips accordingly 89 - 64 - 92. I hope, that you
will inform me also on yourself. Because I cannot see it on a photo.
I search for the man with whom to me it will be good. Which will be
happy, if I is with it which I can make happy. I want, what we with it
would be always together and were happy, , you can be such man?
How you think? What should I do that is pleasant to you? It is very
interesting to me to learn it.
I hope, that I will receive your photo tomorrow and the new letter
with answers to my questions.
I already with impatience wait for your letter.
I wait.....
Yours faithfully and sincerely Yuliya.

No response to my friend’s original questions, no addressing his concerns.



What is surprising to me is that many men still fall prey to online dating scammers. Even when in doubt, many men will assume that it is in fact a real woman, who is writing to them from Russia. Although the intentions of the person are transparent, men still tend to think that it really is a woman who will eventually ask for Western Union money transfer.

One of men I have met on Match.com told me a story similar to this one. After being contacted at his personal e-mail address by a scammer, he tracked the scammer’s IP address from which the response was sent. The IP address was located not in Russia, but in Nigeria. So much for Russian mail order bride scam. Finally, for those who are seriously looking to meet and bring a wife from abroad, I recommend Beautiful Russian Brides
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