Whether you’re looking for women through a local dating agency in your community or through an internet-based dating service of any kind, there are scammers waiting to take advantage of your search for love. Although dating through services that work with Russian women also carries a small risk, there are ways to avoid falling victim to a Russian scam if you know of two red flags that could hint that you are dealing with a scammer.
Flag # 1: The Girl of Dreams
If someone contacts you first with an incredibly beautiful image and every word you receive from her paints her as the perfect woman in every respect, then there may be reason to be cautious until you’ve verified that she is who she claims to be. Many Russian women have the natural beauty, brains, and value system that make them more than ideal for men from many other cultures, but they are human and there will always be signs of human nature in dealing with them.
It takes time for two people to get to know each other, and a proclamation of deep love rarely comes in a few emails or a couple of phone conversations. True love affairs with Russian women happen quite often, but not overnight. If you are contacted by what appears to be the girl of your dreams who magically fell in love with you instantly, then you should proceed with some caution.
Flag # 2: Cash Flow
If the girl of your dreams starts asking for money before you’ve really developed a close relationship, or if her messages are always full of conversations about needing money, then you may be dealing with a Russian dating scam. A scammer will pull on your heart strings and make you think they need money for a good cause, then ask you to send the money via bank transfer. The problem with wire transfer is that you don’t know who is receiving the money at the other end, and there is no way to get the money back once it’s sent.
There are a number of excuses used in a Russian dating scam for you to send money. They can claim that they will lose their Internet connection if they do not have a certain amount of money quickly. Other times they will say that they are madly in love with you and that they need money to pay for airfare to enter your country. Remember that the process of taking a Russian girlfriend or love interest to another country is not easy. She won’t be able to just get on a plane and come right away, so if you have a woman asking for money to visit, ask her more questions before you send her the cash.
One option is to turn the tables when you think you may be dealing with a Russian dating scam. Instead of sending her money so she can visit, offer to buy a ticket and come visit her at her own home. A woman who seriously wants a relationship with you and is in love will have no objection to this. In fact, most will be happy as this keeps her safe and secure in her own environment as she comes face to face with a man she may want to spend the rest of her life with. If you are indeed dealing with a Russian dating scam, you will of course get a very different response.