Scam or not?

By joining our community you will have the ability to post topics and access other forums reserved for members. Registration is quick, simple and absolutely free. Join our community today by clicking here.

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 22 Apr 2014 Posts: 3

Hi everyone!
Before we go any further, let me dot the Is and cross the Ts. I am a Russian woman happily married to a South African guy, whom I met on a very humble and casual dating site, no mediators like agents or translators involved. I promise, there will be no horse load from my side, as to say that your site is misinforming, bringing our girls into disrepute etc cause i know from my own experience, while living in SA, things like that happen and I personally rescued a couple of local hot-shots from being taken for a hefty ride. I am not here to advertise my lovey-dovey story though and tell everyone how clever I am, but rather ask for help. The problem is, my brother in law? of over 60 y.o. is hitting middle-age crisis and went head over heels after some hottie from Lugansk, whom he has found on a dating site called www.findmebride.com. I was a bit lazy to shuffle through 400+ profiles matching her description, so maybe someone has already come across this lady and can prove or dismiss my point that she is a full blown scammer. I have only got her name (the old f@rt BIL keeps their correspondence private and wouldn't lat anyone to read a single line, though mentions, that after the 2nd or third letter she is all hot to come here, to SA), Natalie, 38 y.o., from Lugansk. Unfortunately no photos ( I have explained my reasons above), but have her vid. She is a slim, very sexy and attractive blonde, in the clip she is sort of performing a strip-dancer's routine, though without actual stripping, wears knee-hi black boots, black mini-dress with diamante buckles on her shoulders and black lacy stockings. Also wears long nails polished in bright-red color. I do not think, that any serious and self-respecting woman, who looks for a husband, not a pimp would be swinging her butt around and stroking her breasts, sort of she is on show. As well would any sane lady agree to fly to an absolutely stranger country after a couple of hours of communication. On top of that I have an eye for a scammer but in my BIL's its not an argument, he is absolutely lovestruck, though says that he wouldn't send her any money, even if she asks. Any help would be appreciated, thanks

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 22 Apr 2014 Posts: 3

You can check this girl out here
Sorry, snipped the link - TS , if it rings any bells Confused

Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2014 11:34 pm

Hi RBPs,
Welcome to Eater-have you tried googling either the emails or the pics? Right now, you are describing a classic scammer but I am not going to download anything from an unknown site like that link.

We tend to be a little leary about people who ask if a friend is being scammed-we've had too many people who are mad at an ex or third party come and post here. But it seems pretty unlikely that a women in Ukraine would be ready to hop a plane and relocate by the third email.

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 22 Apr 2014 Posts: 3

Thanks for coming back. I will try and make an effort to find her pics when I have some free time. In a meantime I will wait for her to ask her new "dearest and sweetest one" for ticket money or help out her cancer striken friend/pay a translation agency. She looks like a classic scammer and honestly I do not believe that someone with pretty face like hers would fall in love with the oldish and baldish guy in his mid sixties. Oh I didn't mention that he is quite a businessman and turns around a heap of money. We will wait and see.

Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2014 1:04 am

The pictures are most likely not of her. In fact, "she" is probably a fat, bald Ukrainian man. Or, it could be a young woman who is paid by the lad to send emails and do video chats with marks. Many of these girls are little more than slaves. It's really sad.

Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2014 7:37 am

Hi RBPS,

Sorry to hear about your BIL! Without further info it's hard to say but it does sound like a classic Ukranian/Russian scam. If you can get 'her' email address, try running that through google. A lot of times if someone else has identified them as a scammer it will already be posted somewhere like our sister site, ScamWarners. If you can get access to the pictures he has received, try doing a reverse google image search. Very often they will use pictures of pretty women stolen off pron sites. If he will let you read an email, try selecting sections of text and running the selection through google. Often times that will also lead you to a site where it has been posted before

Good luck with your search and with convincing your BIL that he may be getting scammed. It's not an easy thing to do. One of the best things anyone that is online dating can do is become educated. If he is willing, maybe you could point him towards ScamWarners. Not only do they post information about scammers but they also outline scams in general. Who knows, you may be able to find a scam very similar to the one his current love is using. One close enough to make him start reevaluating things anyway.

One other thing to note... Webcam videos can be faked now. A lot of people don't know that. Here's a recent article that may be helpful to share with your BIL: http://www.bbb.org/blog/2013/03/9864/

Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2014 8:13 am

There are at least 3 or 4 recent Russian scams documented in the Romance Scams forum at Scamwarners, showing the emails sent, from the initial email through to the request for money for flight tickets. Together with the 3 or 4 pictures that are sent with each email (and in a couple of cases video clips).

Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2014 3:55 pm

RBPS ,

The reputation of the site is a bad one:
http:/ /www.complaintboard.com/findmebride-com-l13723.html

Checking the pictures used for some of the profiles on that site leads to other similar paid sites (xxx credits to open a letter type). Not to mention those pictures are, most of them, stolen and used online with different locations and many of them have also scam hits. The email address or at least "her" username may help to see which one is that one you are talking about. If / when you get some details, try passing those details to the ScamWarners - are people there able to help you if they have some basic researchable info.