Posted on June 04th, 2003 06:35 PM by admin

By Tony Bochene

Just as you think you've got all the scams wired, they come up with a new one. Well that's free-enterprise pal and believe me the Russians are learning quick. But before we get into this, especially for the benefit of the newcomers, I'd like to make a few quick comments about the whole "scam" thing. It's still my belief that most the foreign ladies advertise themselves on the internet with good honest intentions of finding a man to spend their life with. However just like any venture where money is involved there is the opportunity for fraud or misrepresentation. That's just human nature. Unfortunately I think a lot of guys bring this misery on themselves by thinking, or at least hoping, their money gives them some power or edge over a woman from a poor third world country, and that they can buy a relationship. Big mistake. Still it is the man's money at risk, so it's up to him to be aware, pay attention, keep his eyes open and his feet firmly planted on the ground. And not do anything over there that he wouldn't do here. Like send money to a woman he doesn't know. It's a fairly simple equation; NO MONEY= NO FRAUD.

So Here's how the latest scam works. The guy has his profile, photo, and e-mail address, posted on the internet very similar to what the girls are doing now. Within a few days, just like magic, he suddenly begins to get all these e-mails from foreign women. Guess what, they're all beautiful young sexy women. The snag is he has to pay to open the e-mails. Not a big deal right? After all you have to pay for addresses not knowing if it's a good active address or not and you pour out your heart in a mass produced form letter, then wear out your tongue licking envelopes and only get two responses. And both are over forty with three kids. Boy that really sucks, you're thinking. I could have more fun than this waiting in line at DMV. So along comes this fast easy electronic way to make contact with foreign women. Hey, you can answer the magic e-mails from your computer at work on company time. And you can just charge it on your credit card. And most important, you don't have to work at it, just make the girls come to you. Now we're talkin. This mail order bride thing is looking better all the time.

Have they got the average American guy figured out or what? The sad thing is a lot of fellas are actually falling for this. Not only paying to open the magic e-mail but falling in lust and going over there to meet a woman who doesn't exist. To realize the absurdity of this tactic lets take a few simple facts into consideration using Russia as a classic example. Number one; There is only one computer for every hundred Russians and most of those don't work very well. Number two; Most Russian women are working two jobs just to stay in debt. So The obvious questions you should be asking are- Where are all these girls getting their very own e-mail address? If they have their own e-mail does that mean they have instant contact with ten million other guys surfing the net? And, where are they finding the time to write all these e-mails? Oh I'm sorry, didn't mean to burst your balloon. Did you think YOU were the only one getting the e-mail and sexy photo from Irina? Think again. The guys on the space shuttle are probably "logging-on" right now.

The frightening, and slightly humorous answer, as long as you aren't a victim of course, is simple. The girls are getting paid to open the e-mail, push all your erotic buttons, and squeeze you for as much as they can get. Anything over and above the e-mail charge, like money for English lessons or granny's operation, or a $1,200 voo-doo visitation visa, they get to keep. A recent disturbing overseas conversation with a young Russian gal from St. Petersburg, who prefers to remain anonymous because she's making a bunch of money, confirmed what many of us already suspected. She works for a Russian boiler-room operation where all they do is answer e-mails. She claims she is paid by the e-mail and given written instructions on what American men like to hear. She is not allowed to give out her real name, photo, or any personal contact information, and all the e-mails, incoming and outgoing, are checked and edited by her boss, the owner of a Russian marriage agency. She also claims there are several old Babushkas working in the operation and, are you ready for this, a man. Yes, that's right, a man! And she claims he makes more money than many of the women. Ok let's hold down the laughter for a moment and try to lend a helping hand to those poor lazy misguided souls who thought the overseas connection would be quick and easy. So how DO you know for sure if Svetlana is really Andrei? Simple. You have to go there, Nuff said.