Russian Women Dating Scams: Are They A Big Deal?

Fake dating scams are such a huge problem that the U.S. State Department refers to them as “Natasha and Boris” scams, where an American man is catfished by another man and ends up losing money in the process. In 2007 and 2008 alone, they cost around $8 billion in losses worldwide. That's why if you're going to get involved in dating online, you should know what these Russian bride scams are, and how to avoid them.

A Russian women scam is a long-term scam in which an American man is essentially bamboozled out of his money by another man. The American man is under the belief he's talking to a love interest, who in reality is a catfish slowly leeching the victim of his money by asking for gifts, allowances, and so on. The most likely scenario is it leads up to a final situation where the “girl” asks for a large sum, saying she's ready to finally meet the victim. After receiving the massive sum, the catfish cuts communications and disappears. The victim is left brokenhearted and broke.

Types of Russian online dating site scams

This isn't limited just to Russian dating sites, but all dating sites in general. They're called online dating scams because these are things that happen before talk of marriage or deep bonds between the two parties. Beware of such situations:

• You become friends with someone, talk a lot, and suddenly one day they start asking you for money because they have an emergency and “trust you”. Don't fall for it, because at best, you'll lose some money. At worst, you'll lose your money, and they'll block you.
• They say they want to come to meet you, but can't afford the money for travel. They'll ask you to send them money, so they can come to meet you, but as soon as the money gets into their account, they'll block you.
• Someone will send you a link and ask you to fill out a survey/download an app. These links are often “phishing links”. What they do is retrieve your username and password, as well as sensitive personal information like bank details, after which you could be robbed blind.

If you're looking for a bride, use only trusted mail order bride sites. They vet the mail order brides to ensure they're authentic, provide translation services, send gifts themselves, and even help set up meetings. With this much work being put into connection, you won't run the risk of being scammed. Yes, these sites typically cost a membership fee to use, but that's a small price to pay for safety.

Top tips to avoid Russian women dating sites scams

The bright side of all this is despite these scams existing, it's very easy to not fall for them. Here's what you should keep in mind:

• Don't click suspicious links. It's always a good rule of thumb to never click on a link someone you don't know sends you because odds are it might be a phishing one.
• Don't send money. No matter how sad the sob story, or how hot the girl who's too poor to visit you, don't give anyone money. If you absolutely must share a certain sum, only send an amount you're comfortable losing.
• Use secure passwords, and don't share them. Things like your bank information and social security numbers are meant to stay private.
• Don't overshare personal details right off the bat. Take some time to get to know the person you're talking to before you decide to share your last name and location.
• Use recommended international dating sites to meet women at, where users are vetted to ensure scams don't take place.

That's all there is to defeat Russian girl scams. Using the right dating sites and following safety tips from this article, you'll never get into trouble. So, good luck finding Russian girl of your dreams without worrying about your wallet!