We would however, like to make it clear to you that we at Odessa Judies do check out all our ladies first, to insure they are truly seeking a genuine relationship with a view towards marriage. As we are a business and it does cost us money to provide this service to you. This insures that the correspondence you receive through our agency is genuine!! If you feel that at anytime you are being exploiting by one of our ladies. Please inform us right away with your concerns and we will take further steps to insure your protection. Also, as you are probably aware there are unscrupulous men who's only purpose is to exploit innocence Russian ladies with a view to placing them into the sex industry. In order to protect our ladies from this elicit trade we do not give out our ladies addresses and contact information. This is only provided by the lady after you have met her in person and with her consent.

Warning Signs: "A Profile of a Scammer"

The following is a list of things to look for in order to detect a scammer. You may wish to first read the Common Scenarios page to understand the very basic patterns that scammers use to get your money.
Encountering one or two of these Warning Signs in your own relations should make you pause but remember there is no reason for paranoia! If, however, many of these are present, step back and profile your correspondent because she could be a scammer!
1. She asks for money for Internet costs.
Now this can be a legitimate request as access to the Net is not free and easy as it may be for you. Whether you should consider this a Warning Sign depends on the particular circumstances including how she has access to the Internet. If she is using "a friend's computer" or her own then her costs should be minimal. (Incidentally, if she has her own computer and internet access from home she is either relatively well-off or this is her job.) On the other hand if she is using an Internet cafe or an Agency then you can expect to be asked to reimburse her for her expenses. In the Author's opinion, mentioning costs of translation agencies or Internet cafes right away is more to the girl's credit than after the third letter or posing the situation as a sudden turn of events. Many agencies state in the beginning that you may exchange a couple of letters and then charges will start to apply. Look for other Warning Signs

Common Scenarios

Visa Scenario
In this scenario the scammer will often forgo the need for the petty cash of internet costs. Often they will claim to have Internet access through work or through a friend. Their letters are usually VERY PERSONALIZED and the illusion that a real relationship is forming is STRONG. After a while (this "waiting period" varies greatly, some wait only a few emails, others will continue correspondence for months) the chance for a visa to visit you arises and a relatively large sum is required. The scammer needs the money right away and is in a hurry to see you for one reason or another. Once money has been transferred the scammer disappears entirely or makes some excuse. Either way the scam is completed and the next mark is located.
The key to avoiding this scam is to simply learn the RULES for obtaining a visa to visit or especially immigrate to your country.

Travel Scenario
This scenario is similar to the Visa Scenario and sometimes run at the same time. Essentially the scammer wants you to send money for the travel costs for her to "come to you." Often when running the Travel Scenario scam, the scammer will claim to have a connection such as a relative that works in a travel agency or who is a pilot or of some special tour that is suddenly available at great prices.
Be especially careful if your country (or the country in which they want to rendezvous) is one that they do not need a visa or to obtain one is relatively easy to do.
To visit the United States is difficult for persons from the CIS countries so you should be able to easily spot this scenario once you learn the rules pertaining to travel from HER country to YOUR country. Learn them.

Illness Scenario
The scenario begins with the high intensity communication and personalization of the Visa Scenario but instead of the "visa request" someone gets ill and is in need of hospitalization, an operation, medicine, etc. Once the money is transferred the scammer is gone.

Accident Scenario
Just like the Illness Scenario only a mother or other relative is in an "accident" and in need.

Mirage Scenario
Usually run by Agency scammers or organizations this scenario works on quantity not quality. Basically, the person you are corresponding with does not exist as they are portrayed. Up front money is asked for the girl's info or her internet costs, etc. and once it is transferred nothing further is heard from the scammer. The transferee never gets what they have paid for or is provided bogus information entirely.

High-Roller Scenario
This situation applies during an actual VISIT to your correspondent. In this situation, the scammer extracts money from you in various ways and money is often paid out for services and accommodations that she has arranged (often to relatives). This is a scam because the prices being paid are far higher than if you had arranged everything yourself. As part of this scam, she may require money from you for expensive gifts, dinners and so forth.
Note: Most sincere Russian and Ukrainian women are almost embarrassed to let you spend money on them in a first meeting or early in the relationship. Most cities have good public transportation and most ladies will prefer to not make you spend your money on expensive taxis, etc. in these situations.

Deep Marriage Scenario
Fortunately this is not truly a "common" situation. But this situation is the most emotionally devastating to the victim. The general circumstances involve a person who is willing to go so far as to actually become engaged and perhaps even married. The goal all the while is only to obtain as much money as possible from the victim before either leaving him immediately prior to marriage or even after marriage if the nuptials have occurred.
Factors, such as proven identity fabrications, multiple and continued personals listings, surreptitious relationships, and other considerations help determine that this situation is a true scam and not just an extreme case of Sour Grapes Because of the difficulty of this latter analysis, only reports including significant proof of these factors will serve as a basis for a Scam Alert.

"Agency Exploitation"
This category will be included when the evidence leans toward the conclusion that the AGENCY is exploiting the identified client (person profiled).
Such exploitation can occur in many ways. For example in many instances it is the AGENCY/owner/manager that is actually conducting the correspondence unbeknownst to the "client." Often they receive the money that is sent for the client's benefit and do not even inform the client or they are simply taking a huge cut of the money unfairly. Another method of scamming is that persons have set up false identities by paying a small sum to models or local girls for their photos and then conducting business as though they are real persons seeking marriage, etc. Likewise the identities of former clients who have gotten engaged or married or merely left a particular Agency and gone to another, more reputable Agency, have continued to be used by the former Agency. These are just some examples of this frequent activity.
The "Agency Exploitation" designation will be used to essentially state that the person profiled may in fact be innocent. (This designation will not be used when the evidence suggests that she/he is in collusion with the Agency or an active participant.) When encountering this designation in a person that YOU are corresponding with, etc. you should: