Is this a SCam?? - Russian Ukrainian Belarus Travel Music Woman Dating News

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Is this a SCam??
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Posted by: OneandOnly

I have been talking to this wounderfulo 25 year old women from Riga Latinva, and we try to mail each other everyday if we do get a chance other than that we have been talking for months and months now and she really wants to come met me and has never really asked me for money or to use my money, She has made one of her clients from the USA send me 4 check and total amount came out to $4000 she said that should take care everything for her to come met me. But What i did was not just cash the check, I put them in the Bank so they could clear so I would not lose any funds and the checks have came back and cleared saying the money is legit, So what i was woundering is this a scam the women told me not to even use my money to help pay western Union just to use the money, anyways please help!! Just to let everyone know that I am 23 old male model here in the USa and me and her have shared many many photos and seem very happy with each other pics, Just please help with some advise I just do not wanna get stuck in a bad spot if you know what I mean.

Posted by: OneandOnly

Someone please post reply and let me know what you think this is what she said After I told her that I received the checks in the mail from her client. Remember That I have put no money into this And I have been speaking to her for over 6 months now and she has called me before too and she is from lativa counrty and city Riga . What do you guys think.

Hello my love Paul!!!
I am happy to read your letter. I am very miss you and I want to be
with you. I to not know, that you to think about it, but I to love and
know you, that only with you we shall be happy. My love, I is very
glad to hear, that you have received checks from my client. Now you
will cash them and will send money to my director through the Western
Union. The necessary information for translation: Romans Fedotovs,
Riga, Latvia. As soon as you will cash checks and will send money to
my director to me will demand about 2 weeks on registration of the
visa, and then I can arrive to you. I very much love you and I shall
hope for our prompt meeting. At me all is good, I very much to work.
I to require in your care, love and in your heat. I may not imagine,
that I shall do without you. I to want to be with you. I to require
you, my love. I each day shall dream about our meeting. I to want to
be with you to begin your wife and to be with you always. My mum to
speak, that we to like each other and should be together. In my dreams
I to see us together and when I to rise to me to become very bad
because I to see, that you are not present beside. We shall be happy
only together. I to want to make that happy in the world. I to learn
your language and to know already very much. And I to trust, that I
shall yours soon, my love. I shall wait for your letter and hope for a
meeting. I love you.
Your Irina

Posted by: sidney

I would hold the $ to make certain the check in fact did clear before I forward the money. I know there were similar scams going thru the net as well as ebay. What at first appeared as a good check sometime later was found to be insufficient funds soon after the money or product was forwarded. Be careful.
Sid

Posted by: Talisyn

Dear Paul, I have told my father about this post, and he plans to come to this website to discuss this issue with you. He had something VERY similar occur to him recently, and it was a scam. Please be patient. I just wanted to give you a heads up.

Posted by: Pin Boy

first of all, welcome to the RMP!

your post is hard to understand because you write in one long sentence and do not explain yourself clearly. but, after reading the letter from the woman, i can tell you 100% that you will never see this woman, nor will you see your money again if you foolishly send it to her.

it is extremely, extremely rare for such a young woman to get a tourist visa to the USA. even if she could, what woman would fly halfway across the world to meet a strange man in a strange country? also, you have never met this woman but she says she loves you??? please do not fall for these emotional appeals.

oh, the part about the dream is also a common line scammers use to reel in suckers.

now, it is possible that someone is telling her that he/they can get her a visa and then plan on scammer her out of your money. either way, you lose.

if you hang around this forum long enough you will learn that the number one rule is:

NEVER SEND MONEY TO A PERSON YOU HAVE NEVER MET!

please forget about this. if you are corresponding with someone you like, get on a plane and visit. then you will know if the person is real and sincere. you'll also have a great vacation and experience. good luck.

pin boy

Posted by: OneandOnly

None Of this is my money. I received the checks from a bank in PA, USA, and it is a real bank and everything. I do not know what to think I called the phone number on it and everything it is from on of her clients, well anyways what is there to really think of this.

Posted by: OneandOnly

Quote:

Originally posted by OneandOnly
None Of this is my money. I received the checks from a bank in PA, USA, and it is a real bank and everything. I do not know what to think I called the phone number on it and everything it is from on of her clients, well anyways what is there to really think of this.

this is her first name Irina Sadkovskaya
and I have her address and everything.

Posted by: Jill

I'm a little confused. Why is her client sending you money?

Posted by: OneandOnly

I do not understand why either, I come to think she do it to make it look like I am sending for her to come to me. To help her get visa maybe, I am not so sure doh. In every letter it is always something to talk about just like normal couple would do or even more and never asking for anything.
here is an other letter i thought you guys should read

Hello my dearest Paul, my love Paul!!!!
I am very glad that again has received your warm letter! My love Paul,
I with the large impatience wait for each your letter! It strongly
pleases me. Like I also receive your letters very much frequently, but
it would be desirable even more often because I very much miss on you
and your warm letters force me to feel closer to you. Certainly is not
so closer as though to me it would be desirable, but I am glad also to
this, my love Paul! I have good news! It will be a surprise for you.
You remember I spoke you, what besides my basic work I still work in
firm on distribution of medical products? While I had only very small
income of this work, but recently I have concluded the large-scale
contract with the buyer from your country. Now I have an opportunity
to arrive to you!!! You are glad to this? I am very glad! But there is
a small problem. My client cannot transfer money to my director. He
has no opportunity to transfer money the Western Union. I have
thought, that you can help to transfer this money. Then be very fast
we can together. I asked my client and he not against such idea. I
only need to hope for your consent. I completely trust you. My client
will send to you the check by mail. You will cash it and will send
money to my director. I want to conclude this transaction to arrive to
you. I very much hope for your help. I trust you, therefore have
decided to ask your help. It is a real opportunity to start our new
life. I am sure, that at us all to turn out and we can meet. We
already so long communicate with you under the Internet, I already had
time in you to fall in love, I feel your heat � to me it would be
desirable to be near to you in real life, my love Paul! But you see it
will be very speed, whether not so? I know it, I feel it. Mine
favourite, my love Paul, soon you see we shall together for ever,
truth? I dream of it each day, each night, I think of you so
frequently! My ideas all day and all night are engaged in you. I dream
of that as we shall live together, that we shall do together. It will
be wonderful, my love Paul!!!!!! I so am happy!!! You at me are
therefore I all light with happiness, if you only could me see, you
would understand as far as I am happy. You would divide with me this
happiness! Because I am happy because of you, with what you
remarkable, with what you sincere, with what you happy!!!!!! I can not
wait of our meeting, my love Paul! If I only could be with you � I
tell to the mum and daddy as I am happy, and as I want to be with you.
They too are very glad because of me. They too long waited that I have
found such good man as you. I never really loved � and consequently
now I want to be with you, I do not want you to lose, I do not want
that you from me turned away, I want that we always were together. You
only be mine always, it is good. All of us equally sometime shall meet
also you will grow fond me even more. I so it want. I want to be in
your embraces, my love Paul!!!! I am very strong you I love! Be with
me, please! I very much am afraid that you sometime simply will cease
to me to write the letters and more we never we can be seen and hear
each other. I very seriously treat you, I do not want that you have
caused me a pain. When I think of it my eyes are filled with tears,
heart begins so quickly to beat � I do not want even assume that such
sometime will � There can be I you has upset with the words but I want
that you have understood me. I you see the woman � It am complex - to
be the woman, I want that you simply have embraced me and has told
that you always will be mine, always will be near to me, to support
me, to love me, my love Paul!! I strongly love you so, my love
Paul!!!!! Love me always, be with me always, you are very expensive to
me such with what you is!!! Force me to be pleased. I think, hundred
are pleasant to you my smile, and when we shall be together to you my
laughter is pleasant also! Mine favourite, my good man, my love Paul,
be always only mine, gentle, caring, sincere and the pleasures in your
eyes are larger! By the way, I very much like your eyes!!!! Such
beautiful!!! Please, having read my letter think of my requests to
you, I was sincerely with you and spoke it from the heart. On this
point I should finish the letter. But you know, that I very strongly
love you, I want to be with you, my Paul! Write to a thicket, think of
me more often, love me even more! Sincerely yours and only yours,
About all
love, Irina

Posted by: searcher

Hmmmmm.......

Interesting and a bit confusing too!

If you have any info from the checks I would call this "client" and see why he was told to send a check to you.

I don't want to seem paranoid or give you the wrong ideas... it is nice that she sent checks, assuming they are legitimate.

My thoughts are that she told another man that she wanted to see him and that she has a friend in the U.S. that could "help her" and to send the money to this "friend" (you) then this would remove all suspicion from you...later she would ask you to "return" her money.

See if the bank can assist you in contacting this "client" and ask about their relationship, if it is a business relationship or a romantic one.

Just my thoughts!

Posted by: Pin Boy

i would just drop this altogether....why would a strange woman and "clients" you never met agree to allow an unknown third party (you) be involved in their money transactions (which make absolutely no sense)?

all the "I love yous" and lots of exclamation points are ridiculous. don't waste another second on this. often scammers will spend months baiting the hook and whwn they feel they have you emotionally vulnerable, will reel you in and take your money. you're being set up for a fall. you wouldn't be the first or the last.

step back and try to look at this objectively. if this were happening to another person, would you think this is strange?

think, use your BRAIN and don't waste another second of your time. move on and look for a sincere woman.

pin boy

Posted by: Texas Proud

A few things....

First, did you keep a copy of the checks?

Were they from an individual or a company?

If from an individual, you should be able to call easily as their name is on the check...

If a company, did they make it out to you in your name?

I smell something bad on this... it takes awhile to get 'good' funds as the check can still bounce...

Also, if it is from a company, you might be involved in a crime and not know it... she can be stealing money and having it directed to YOU and you send it on...

The part that makes it sound fishy is that her 'director' or whomever can not get to Western Union!!! EVERYBODY in the US can get to western union as it is online... and in most every city somewhere...

If it is legit, then holding the money for 30 days would not be a problem for either of you, that is if the money is not stolen...

Posted by: Pin Boy

forum members...let's not encourage this man that there is even a tiny chance that this could be legit....read the last letter from the "woman"...she's using all the cliches...dreams, love your eyes, all the horse hockey scammers use...let's save this fish and get him off the hook by telling him straight...to even bother wasting a minute's time to see if these checks are legit is just setting him up to be fleeced...i suspect it'll go something like this:

the checks have to be held for some period of time...but the woman will say there is an immediate need for the money, and could this man send the money in the meantime via western union. and then he'll get repaid when the checks can be released. and lo and behold after she gets the money from western union, the checks are worthless. he will have sent money via western union and she'll disappear into the abyss drinking champagne somewhere and laughing at the foolish american she scammed. and of course she'll then go on to her next easy mark.

come on, folks. be blunt and join me in helping this guy see the light.

pin boy

Posted by: searcher

Well PinBoy,

I agree but I am also a bit concerned about the origin of those checks.

Posted by: Pin Boy

good point, searcher....this guy should be careful not to do anything that could be illegal and wind up in hot water.

pb

Posted by: OneandOnly

gave him a call and seems legit. Now I just do not know what to think about it, She has told me that she applied for tourist visa and went through since she has home and job. So you never know I guess we will see and find out what happens.

Posted by: pharmrep2

Hi OneandOnly
I am with PinBoy. This is an old classic SCAM!!! just modernized a bit. I saw an episode on 20/20 or 60 minutes about this type of scam. They featured a woman that found supposebly a "dream job" working from home. She got a job with a russian company (scammer) in which her job was to cash checks from clients in the USA and send the money to Russia. The checks looked real and legit and were cleared. She would get a certain percentage for each check she cashed. Well seems easy and fair enough, plus she had legitimate looking contract and memos from the russian company. But after two weeks she got a call from the bank that they found out the checks were fake or had no funds. She was out over ten thousands of dollars. So be careful don't send the money, keep it and wait for the bank to give you a call asking for the $4000's back.
Come on use common sense why would she send you checks to cash and then send by western union, can't they do it themselves. There are other ways businesses exchange money, (i.e. money transfers, travelers checks, own checks). This is a no brainer. If you are still not satisfied do some more research find out about the where the checks came from call the companies call the office in Russia where the money should be sent. Dig deep. If you send the money by western union, then I have some swapland in Florida I could sell you. Just be careful my friend.

Dax

Posted by: Khashyar

My thoughts are:

You are putting yourself at risk for liability by being the middle man for these transactions.... If there is any kind of fraud going on, then you might be responsible for returning the money, and you might also be seen as a participant to fraud.

You mentioned that you have been corresponding with this woman for 6 months... I don't know how deep and thorough your corresponance has been..... But before having met this woman in person (which really is the way to give sunstantially more legitimacy to a long distance relationship), I don't know if you can trust being involved with her with such large transactions.

How did the customer who sent you the check hear about her director's services? Isn't there some way for the director to set up some kind of paypal account or credit card account through which to receive money? I know that credit and ATM cards are becoming much more popular in Russia now adays.

I would just be careful being involved in the major financial dealings of a person who you really don't know that well.

I think that it's o.k. to get to know her better, especially by speaking with her on the phone and going to visit her.

But I would not get financially involved with her until you two have met and become engaged.

And yes, althogh it is possible in rare cases, it is VERY difficult for a single young Russian woman to receive a tourist visa to the U.S.

I recommend moving very slowly and with observant eyes in this case.

Thanks for sharing your story...

Khashyar

Posted by: Ade

Hi,

As everyone else says, be careful. And ask yourself 2 questions regarding the transaction i) why does her client have less opportunity than you to use Western Union? ii) if this is a business transaction (it's her 'client', right?), then how does he show a payment to you as a business cost?

Nobody in their right mind would be sending you money for a transaction that has nothing to do with you, they get no receipt, you're nothing to do with her 'company'.

If you were conducting business with a foreign company, would you send money to someone who was nothing to do with the company or the deal?

We could all be wrong - but I can't see anything good about it.

Regards,

Ade

Posted by: Texas Proud

Quote:

Originally posted by searcher
Well PinBoy,

I agree but I am also a bit concerned about the origin of those checks.

I agree... it seems VERY fishy to me and I would drop it in a minute...

But, there could be a crime going on right now and you should find out and inform the police!!!

Posted by: jpierce55

The fact you are certain she is real does not mean she is honest, advice recently given to me.

I have heard of similar scams where funds are transferred to your bank account and later you find out the funds are false. It is also possible that the funds are stolen and she needs them hidden for some amount of time.

Use considerable caution. Wait until the bank confirms the checks are good.

If I was you I would not have even cashed them. It is possible you may have affiliated yourself with a crime.

It is very unlikely she is honest.

Posted by: OneandOnly

I never cashed the checks they are sitting in my bank just chillin like a apple hangin from a tree. It has been 7 days since they have been in the bank, And I think that I am going to let them stay in there 2 weeks to see how things go. If anything gets really crazy or funny I will cancel and call the cops ASAP.

Posted by: Pin Boy

why take the chance? this woman has put you in a sticky situation. you owe her nothing. there are many other woman who are not involved in such subterfuge. i am really surprised that you are still involved in this after all the different people who are justifiably skeptical and think this is too hot to touch. hope you don't get burned.

pin boy

Posted by: Texas Proud

A question...

you say the are in your bank, but you have not cashed them... how are they in your bank???

Also, you do not have a city where you live... just want to know so we can determine who will come visiting when visiting days are!!!

You could be laundering money... and the Feds do not care that you 'did not know'...

Just a thought

Posted by: BradIL

Pin Boy--- Khashyar---searcher and others have given Oneand Only good advice to avoid the scam.

I want to add 1 point.

If these checks originate from a bank account that is being viewed suspiciously for "laundering" activities, for whatever kind of illegal activity...

... and if there is even the slightest attempt to try and clear these checks through a personal checking account. Especially if a third-party is in anyway a co-payee on the check.

HOLY GOD!!!! ***MOTHER OF GOD***!

This is a dead-on profile of the kind of financial activity that fits, at least, the U-S money laundering prohibitions. Get scammed, get burned and get indicted in 1 fell-swoop. When the feds 'tag' an account as suspicious, ALL transactions are viewed skeptically.

Somebody really has to be diabolic to perpetuate this kind of scam.

OneandOnly I hope these checks are not pending with a Federal Reserve bank to be credited to your account. You mentioned they cleared and were legit. I suppose the money is sitting in your account? If not and they still have not cleared... call your bank and pull them back as soon as possible.

I still don't understand the "client" angle to all this. "Client" for what kind of service, or the purchase of what kind of goods, any idea?

Bad news all the way around!

Posted by: Khashyar

Hi Paul...

I'm wondering what the services were that you men ar sending you checks for? You mentioned that 4 checks totaled $4,000.

If you want to continue to develop the relationship, then I would recommend doing so with open cautious eyes. But I really would not be involved with any business fiancial dealings until you meet in person and feel 100% comfortable about her and your relationship.

Also... just be aware that if you are depositing checks into your bank account, then the IRS will want you to declare that as income if they become aware of it....

Khashyar

Posted by: andy_101

Call your bank and ask for their advice. They should tell you what kind of trouble you could be in and will tell you what you should do to stay out of trouble. Personally I would drop this woman like nuclear waste. You are being set up for something - get out of it now.