What do I and Russia’s new first lady have in common? We are both dating scammers.
Well, not us, but Russian women with the same names. At some point, I googled my name to see how my blog was doing in the rankings, and one of the links that came up in the top 20 was “dating scammer Anna Ershova.” Upon clicking on the link and seeing a picture that differed very much from my visage, I realized my reputation was not in any danger. Even though we share one name, she is 30 and comes from Rostov-on-Don. According to John, who submitted her profile,
She is very skillful woman with using copy and paste contents in mail.
She requested much and many.
Very quick temper.
And her photo on the site may be photos when she was very young age or much decorated. Pay attention.
I found this fascinating, but not worth investigating, and went back to studying for finals. Now that I am done with my freshman year, I have a bit more time to investigate this interesting phenomenon. It’s even more exciting, because there is a dating scammer whose name is the same as President Medvedev’s wife — Svetlana Medvedeva. She is listed under a Russian Marriage Scams category on a website that appears to be originally dedicated to computer programming. (I wonder if its founder got scammed by a Russian bride wannabe?) Her semi-provocative photographs are accompanied by an e-mail Ms. Medvedeva’s potential victim received. Here is an excerpt:
You know for these some letters I have fallen in love with you very strongly. I for a long time did not test anything to men, and you seem have demented me… I very much want to arrive to you but unfortunately I have no such opportunity… I must have registration of visa and passport, so I must pay about 250-290 $ US for those things. This amount includes: payment for visa and passport registration, payment for promptness because sometimes registration borrow 4-6 months. Also this price include Interview in embassy and medicalsurvey… I will have work visa so my firm will pay for tickets so you must not worry about tickets or money for tickets because my working firm will pay for this. But I must ask money help from you … because I do not have any money right now. So please try to find way to help me this money sooner, so I might pay for it because as you may understand it will borrow sometime. So if you would send money help that amount today or tomorrow I will be able to pick up your money help faster and pay for it, so it would take less time…
Both of these two websites have other profiles of Russian or post-Soviet dating scammers. One of them even offers “The Complete, No-Nonsense Anti-Scam Guide For Men Seeking a Russian Wife.” Why a Russian wife? There are slightly under 200 countries in the world, so why not look for matrimonial happiness elsewhere? The RussianWife website claims:
We are owned and operated by an American who is very happily married to a fantastic Russian woman. I have been to Russia several times, and one thing I was struck by was how many fantastic women over there who are alone.
This is indeed true. Russian men live significantly less than Russian women; alcoholism and domestic violence are a huge issue, and, unfortunately, many Russian women struggle to find a partner. But do all marriage agencies and their clients have such altruistic motivations?
Russian marriage agency offering single Russian women, young Russian girls and mail order brides for dating and marriage.
This is what the agency Your Bride offers. Sounds a bit like a marketplace: you have your pick of a Russian bride, all combinations of eye color/hair color/age/weight/height possible. Not satisfied? We’ll ship you another one.
Here is one question I would like to ask any man who ever used any of these services: What kind of women do you think would gladly provide their information to be in a website like this? I would imagine that an overwhelming majority of single Russian women would prefer submitting their profiles to a website that would present them as humans, not as bride meat.
There are a plethora of scammers who try to get money from the naive foreigners. While in some cases it may be difficult, if not impossible, to recognize them, sometimes it is fairly obvious. CNN features a story about two young Russian men who collected $56K from Westerners. No women were involved in this scheme; this means the eager Western men parted with their money without even speaking to their “loved one” on the phone (not to mention videochatting). Were they so infatuated by the photographs and sweet e-mails? Did they think there were no telephones in Russia? (the “woman” wrote her e-mails in English, which means the two criminals couldn’t use “her” lack of language skills as an excuse) Why didn’t they spent the money on a ticket to Russia for themselves? The actions of the Russian men were doubtless illegal, but a little bit of common sense on the part of the Western men would have helped prevent the crimes.
By the way, the Russian-speaking internet is full of stories about Western men who would engage in an online relationship with a Russian lady, then invite her over, where she would learn her knight in a shining armor is in fact homeless/a father of six children he had never mentioned/has a different job from what he claimed to have/disabled. It looks like Russian brides and their potential Western husbands are even.
this is soo funny, it happened to me already, she e-mailed me 4-5 times saying that she’s moving over to the USA to live and marry me (although i really wasn’t ready for that level of commitment for someone who i didn’t know despite the hot pictures) she gave me a real Æroflot number-SU315 but last minute states that she missed the flight because she needed an extra $500 and that she will pay me back once she’s in New York.. i didn’t fall for it one bit and i e-mailed her saying that i’m jobless, she said that it wasn’t going to work out and never heard from her again. Now i have my extra $500 and since i work at an airport my choice of Russians.
Who says they never spoke to a woman on the phone? A lot of the Russian Men (RM) who scam have their girlfriends talk on the phone.
The usually MO is they wait until the American Man (AM) is Hooked then they make up some sort of ‘Emergency’ like, “I got a loan from a loan shark to buy a plane ticket to surprise you, but he found out I was leaving the country and stole the ticket! Now he says he will hurt me if you don’t send him $$$. PLEASE, SEND HIM THE MONEY and I will borrow money from my parents TO COME TO YOU IMMEDIATELY! Blah Blah Blah”
There are a thousand variations on this. Everywhere from them scamming a small amount of money at a time to bank fraud, an endless variation.
AM want RW, it’s just that simple. We like that RW are taller, more appreciative, more beautiful, take care of themselves more, aren’t as Critical of us, aren’t (usually) gold diggers (Unless they’re from Moscow???). Just kidding! Maybe?
There are lots of people pulling dating type scams online. Maybe the person stole the photo as well.
Yes its true , there are alot of scammers out there, this one was in usa mother in nigeria and in need of money for her moms breast cancer already on a 2 chat. She begged and pleaded, even after I told her im lucky to pay my own mortgage , she went in circles with constant love this that etc, and moved on to sneek in the begging again.
I have lived for 7 months in Sochi Black SEa, I met a nice women there and found many can speak english well, not all but many. And there are christian women there as well. Also, I really seen alot of men and women, Id say its same as usa. But I cant count. I didnt.
For the most part, there are alot of very good , weel home style, down to earth women out there, who study often dress well and are high cost persons for dateing. There are also ones who are true ,open,honest, no scecerets and love the lord and pretty. Also just like America, most of the women end up living till 70-80 yrs old and over weight even though Organics are more easy to find there in foods. Yet the fruit and vegeis are half eaten because no pestiside uses so its another problem, you hunt , and you find what good , and you will ,and thats what they do. I like them alot, I appreciate there way of life there.
I would say, there different, but not spiritially. Just there soul and body character .
Love come from them just like americans. They have issues with marriage , and same as we.
I like Russia alot . In fact if I could work there and live decent have a nice women thin side because Im athletic I like sports , move move, i plan to live 120 yrs old.
Because really, there is alot of beautiful Trees, land, and space where the village , town, homes, apartments etc are and its just so oldfashioned compared to usa , modern , and by the way so much nicer to me. Alot of good people ini Russia, and the darn government is really the untrused area. NOt al l government but alot. yet Id say all gover are like that and alot of good people all around also. It seams the problem is goverment keeps a control over people , to keep there INcome higher. today more than yers in past too. and get worse.
media notheing more than a cover up for making one country look better than the other and its all LIES, Satans biggest lie to get people at eachothers throats.
I have seen with my own eyes, and when I say Russian shoppipng for food and other things is so much more pleasant of a time. Believe me. And more respect is out there . Occasionall spy or maufia guy may bump you hard, as he walks by they are no different than any other bad guy, out to do somethin bad and your just a person n way but its not often.
So for you people out there who are so Dumb to believe that russian are differetn,
Truthfully, Years ago we all lived there. Period. YOU no better , just because you have Usa , or Isreal, or whatever. Wake up world, there is a God, one God not made up images,
its time we all get back to the basics of life!!! water the earth, take care of it, worry not about how much things you have or dont, take care of eachother, the neighbor etc.
Stop , haveing to have, some imaginable life of, music that is full of perversion, or good with sneeky perverions and calling it OKAY, it will effect your spirit, and then your soul and if you dont see you have control over it you are not takeing control you are being controlled by the bad tv,bad movie,bad music, there is alot of beauty in music, some movie walks outdoors, playing together, agreeing and working on getting in agreement for the better.
Because none of it will leave you satisfied. Only Love, hope, faith in God who by Gift, has to offer, new spirit birth, by , controlling your flesh and feeding your spirit with truth, love .
Jeff Any Russian , women who like to play tennis , indoor ball game,billards, then email me at,
[email protected], if your a scammer dont bother, i will know. I am aware that a real women who is decent can afford her way .
Yes, that’s quite plausible. I believe I saw a few mentions of certain hot pictures being ‘recycled’ by multiple scammers.
Women and people try to make these Russian and Eastern European women to be innocent victims that had their names used. Or they were forced. That is not the case at all. Most times these women are working alone or in teams of girls. Often there are women coaching the girls. Anyway, some bitch is picking up the money. There may be some men doing some upfront work. But WOMEN collect the money from Western Union or MoneyGram.
I have tried to do business in the Russia and the Ukraine. What I have learned is they are ALL scammers. It is a way of life…. they don’t know any better. That doesn’t make it right. Its just the way it is.
BOYCOTT ALL OF EASTERN EUROPE!!! Don’t give them a fucking penny for ANYTHING! They contribute NOTHING to the world economy! They are leaches on the hairy ass of the world.
REPORT THE SCAMMER TO THE COUNTRY’S TAX AUTHORITIES WITH A COPY OF ALL YOUR MONEY TRANSFER RECEIPTS.
They police won’t do anything…. but, the FUCKING governments are hurting for money and will track those bitches down to get their share of the scam. Then you can bet the penniless bitch will flip on anyone involved.
This is one harsh comment. Did you fall for one of these ploys by any chance? I see no other reason to use such strong wording when talking about women, whether they are scammers or not.
I know that the way business in Eastern Europe is run is very hard to deal with for everyone, but I would not agree that they contribute nothing to the world economy. Oil is the example that comes to mind first.
Reporting scammers to the tax authorities is a good strategy, although it might be hard to communicate with the Russian IRS, since they are usually not very fluent in English. Do you know anyone who was successful at doing that?