I have had a very interesting experience recently that I'd like to share with you here. I am sure that it will be both interesting and helpful for you!
You know, I can say that I know LOTS of ways to scam men: from the smallest and almost innocent to those that cost a few thousands dollars. This type was very new and completely unknown for me and I am sure for you as well!
I received a letter from one of my clients (Scott) who was in touch with a lady from Odessa (she is not on my web site).
Scott wrote:
> I just got your e-mail about scammers which arrived in a very timely manner. I am
>involved in one of the most bizarre situations right now and I want to ask you if you can
>advise me what to do.
>
> I wrote you earlier this year about a lady named Elena in Odessa Ukraine. I have been
>corresponding with her for over 6 months. I went to Odessa in May to meet her and her
>mother and thought I found a truly wonderful kind hearted lady. We have corresponded
>regularly since February.
>
> I have attached documents that were just sent to me. Apparently the story goes like this.
>
> Elena did not e-mail me for a few days and a friend of hers in Odessa that I have been
>doing some business with sent me an e-mail asking me if I had talked with her recently.
>Elena was supposed to meet him and never showed up. I guess she crossed the road in the
>wrong place and caused an auto accident.. The driver swerved to miss hitting her and hit a
>electric pole.
> The driver was driving a BMW500 series car so the damages were $3500. Elena was arrested
> and she has until August 30th to pay this man the money. Elena and my friend Denis met
>with the man today and he now wants $4,000 because his wife was in the hospital.
Denis has tried to get this man to give Elena more time but he wants all his money now.
>I have been told that he has arranged to get Elena a loan at a very high interest rate
>and we both know that these poor people can never keep up with the loan shark payments.
> The driver of the car is named Klimenko and I understand he is a real bad news guy.
>He has suggested that he can Elena sent to Turkey to work in a brothel to repay the debt.
>
> I would immediately think that this is a scam but I have met this girl and her mother, I
>stayed with them for 7 days and I think I got a good feel for who they are. I have been
>working on getting her a visa ect. Can you look at the attached documents and tell me
>if these are legitimate. Also, I understand that bizarre stuff happens over there
> and the Russian Mafia is ruthless. Have you ever heard of anything like this happening?
>Is a pedestrian liable for damages created in an accident they cause?
A scanned "Document" was attached to this e-mail: Protocol of the Car Accident. At the same piece of paper where explanations of Elena, a BMW500 driver and a Road Police officer about the way the accident happened.
A few lines from each person (normally - a few pages from each person). On the back of this "Document" we found "Expertise results" about the damage that was caused to a car ($3500.00) and POLICE requests for Elena to cover the damage by the end of the week!
"Document" was singed with the same Road Police officer, expert and there was a stamp of the Regional Road Police Department.
I was very sceptical as to the whole situation and here is what I
answered to a client:
> > 1. The story sounds very suspicious. We didn't hear ever that a
> > pedestrian, to be required to pay for the car damage. NONSENSE!
> >
> > 2. There is the fact that a car drove 50km/hr, it doesn't sound as
> > truth also (talking about BMW 500!!!). So, it makes a document
> > questionable in general. If it is a true story then Klimenko (a
> > driver) could pay a bribe to a policeman so that
> > he would look completely innocent. However he is responsible anyway
> > since she was crossing a crossroad. NONSENSE!
> >
> > 3. There is a line in the document that Elena has to pay a damage
> > until August 30 th. It is the most suspicious part of it as POLICE
> > cannot talk about any compensations! ONLY court can do this. There is
> > no a word about any trial there. Road police only investigates,
> > provides expertise, values the damage. No requirements about paying
> > the damage, no dates can be stated in the Road Police document.
> > However it is DONE!!! NONSENSE!
> >
> > 4. If you still want we could try to find out if the case is
> > real (if it is registered in the Road Police). However on the other hand
> > a case CAN be for real, but payments requirements can be false. It can
> take a couple days).
> >
> > Advices for the case you TRUST Elena:
> >
> > 1. Requirement to pay up to August 30th is not legal in any way. No
> > one can require her to do this. No problem if she doesn't do this.
> > More over, she HASN"T do this!!!
> >
> > 2. Ask Elena to apply to a court. Only court can take decision
> > regarding amount and dates of payments. Promise Elena to
> > give her this money but only after he sees the paper from a court.
> >
> > 3. The threat to send Elena to Turkey to be a prostitute for
> working out her debt sounds funny. If the whole story
> > is real, he never ever can do this. Also he cannot kill her or do
> > anything else like this.
> >
> > 4. Again, if all things above don't sound convincing, we could:
> >
> > - check at the Police archives if this persons (Klimenko and his wife)
> > are for real;
> > - check if the case #1306 was registered in the Road Police;
> > - we could try to get know what
> > - MAYBE find Police inspector who worked on the case (if it was for real)
> > - if any new aspects or new ideas appear on the way we can find out
> > more, it was just a first approximate plan.
> > It is a paid service though...
An unusual thing was that Scott MET this girl before in person and felt
very much attached to her and her family! I was 99% sure that it is a scam, but a client still kept hope that 1% also can work... Well, we began an investigation and here is what I reported to a client after it was finished:
> I probably have to start with some explanation of the structure of the
> Road Police here in Ukraine and in Odessa.
>
> Odessa is a big city - more than 1 million residents. It is divided
> into a few separate regions that have the own management (like a
> Government), Tax Departments, Police Departments and Road Police
> Departments, etc. On the top of these 7 Regional Departments are City
> Government and the Central City Departments of all sides of city
> activity including Central City Road Police Dep.
>
> Each more or less serious car accident, especially if any serious
> damage for a car or especially a health damage is involved is investigating
> by the Central City Road Police. The accident we are talking about had do be
> under investigation of the Central City Road Police Department, at
> least (if it is not very serious) it must be REGISTERED there.
>
> As I could read on the stamp of the document you sent me, the accident
> happened in the Primorskiy Region of Odessa and the stamp was of
> "Primorskiy Road Police Depaprtment". So, our first goal was to meet
> Primirskiy's Dep. Road Police officers "on-duty" and to show them the document we have.
>
> The reaction was:
>
> 1. Document looks ridiculous.
>
> 2. There is no Road Police inspector named Dimchenko B.G. in the
> Primorskiy RPD whose signature is on the document;
>
> 3. There is no expert named Pokrovskiy A,N. (who also signed the
> document about the car damage) in Primorskiy Reg,. Road Police Dep.
>
> 4. The stamp doesn't look like their original stamp, but sooner as a fake one.
>
> Next point of the investigation was a visit the Central City Road Police
> Department. As I wrote before they register ALL and EACH car accident
> that happens in the city. All car accidents that happened from August 20 to August,
> 24 in Odessa were checked carefully and this accident was NOT registered there.
>
> We were told that official investigation of the strange document can be began
> if Elena brings ORIGINAL document (we have only a copy as you know).
>
> Document that we have is absolutely out of common sense.
>
> I hope it helps... Our first suggestions were completely confirmed. I know
> many ways of scamming Western men, but this one if new!
>
And finally the finish of the whole story. A couple weeks later Elena wrote to Scott the following letter admitting her guilt:
> Hello my darling!
> Yes, I know that I was wrong and I know that I am guilty,but I will try to
> explain you my point of view.I will start from the beginning, from the time
> when I was young and my family was in situation from which we didn't know
> where is the way of out.I told you that many years ago my family lived in
> another region and one day ,we needed to sell home because my mother
> didn't get payment from job and we couldn't pay for gas and for everything. My
> mother tried to ask a lot of people for help but all people chanhed a lot
> when you start to talk about money.They try to explain with complain that
> they have no money and they are sorry.All the time we lived in the city,then
> we needed to changed and came to my father's mother.It is not the
> home of us and all the time we feel that we are guests. My meeting with you was
> true and I still love you.How could I leave my mother in such situation. All the time
> when you were here she asked me to talk to you and maybe you could help us, but I knew
> how people and dearest friends are change when the talk is about money. I understood
> that you would close and say "Sorry I can't help". Ask your heart now and I am sure
> that in the deapest of it you will agreed. I don't beleive in miracles. Love means
> to give and forgive,have you ever been hungry.Yes,I decided to test you and do
> you know why?Because money is very important for people and no matter what they say.
> All the time you tell me that you are ready to give everything for our love, are you
> sure?Yes,everything but not money because if put from one side your love and from
> another money,you will be ready to be single but have money. Be honest with yourself.
> All the time you asked me why I didn't ask you to come. My darling,at this world we
> have things about which we needn't ask.You are cleaver man and you understood that I
> want you come!!!You are wonderful man but you not love me,because you are not ready
> to loose anything for me.You want first to be safe.How could your feelings could
> changed so fast? When you love someone you are ready to forgive everything for only being
> with this person.This is love!!! Remember it,I know that one day you will meet your
> happiness and I can only tell you one thing,do everything that never loose this love,
> price for happiness can be great but it means love,Love-to give and forgive!!!
> When your children do something wrong you will forgive them everything because you
> LOVE them!!!This is LOVE!!!
> Elena
> ************************************
Thanks for reading this long story... I hope it can help you in the future, but most of all I wish you to escape any scams and were in contact with nice sincere ladies only :))
Sincerely yours,
Natasha Varetskaya, Ph.D.