I had a sophisticated scammer roll me over.  It cost me agency fees, time with the girl, time in the Ukraine, presents there plus cash there and Western Union cash totalling $650 when all was said and done above what I payed the agency to meet the girl.  The agency was out of Kharkov, Ukraine (immediately a suspect city for those of you who know the industry).  I knew that, but I have to go for the pretty girls so I went with the agency, which is probably a scam agency as well.  At the very least they are completely negligent in screening their girls.  
The girl wrote decent letters to me.  We corresponded well.  She is fluent in English and 19 years younger than I as well.  She was one of five girls I went over to meet.  I went through the girls of the agency I intended to meet plus another 7 girls.  They were just as pretty as their pictures, but she seemed to connect so well with me.  She did not spend my money needlessly in Ukraine, did not ask for anything.  I met her mother - though in a restaurant and not her house.  Everything was fine - I thought she was great and quickly made her my only.  The girl was a normal Ukrainian girl, barely making it by our standards.  I saw she had no hat and that her gloves were torn so I bought her a fancy hat and gloves.  She had no watch so I bought her a decent watch - total present bill $160.  We ate at restaurants, hung out and had a good time.  No real sex, but we were very close.
We decided to start the fiance visa process.  We filled out the 325A form in my flat.  I figured I would get the paperwork set for her plus learn about her via email over the months and visit her again in April.  I gave her $220 cash when I left to get her International passport, more photos, translated birth certificate etc.  When I came back home within a week she claimed to have massive problems with the police in getting her International passport.  She said she had to convert her Russian passport to her Ukrainian and that she had to bribe people, because the in the Kharkov area the police are so corrupt, so I found out what she needed and I gave her $300.0  I still was waiting for the birth certificate, translated copies, photos etc.
Then she said she had to spend all the money to get her International passport.  I told her how much things should have cost and she gave me what seemed like a logical explanation that things in Eastern Ukraine are much more corrupt than Kiev and the police needed all the money to process the fiance visa.  Her situation was really unique, her father was a pilot.  They had lived in many places in the FSU as well as East Germany.  She had lots of pictures.  It seemed possible to me ie. I bought that lie.  So, I gave her the benefit of the doubt, it was Christmas time so I gave her $150 more for Western Union to get everything not yet done to me.  I expected her to buy herself a gift, or her family a gift with the extra money - luckily for me, no biggie, but of course the principle is what counts.  
The next thing I hear she is very sick.  She is in the hospital, there are expensive bills etc.  I said everything right, was sorry I could not be there to help her but sent no more money.  After five days I asked her for the hospital address because I wanted to send her a really nice present.  Oh, too late, she was getting out tomorrow, but could now not work for a while (keep in mind she was making $25 a month as an aerobics instructor plus going to school) - but everything would be fine, her parents had helped her and she would now be able to get me the paperwork, but could not use DHL as I asked, but would use another service and I would get the paperwork in two weeks.  
The next thing I hear is that her friend had a great way for her to get to the US, where she would not need a fiance visa.  It would be on a student visa and it would only cost me $1199 including airfare.  Plus the visa would be good for a minimum of five months.  By then I was really humoring myself with her.  I asked her to have her friend give me names, telephone numbers and email addresses of the girls his company had gotten into the US.  Once I had verified that other women had gone to the US this way I would be happy to send her the money, hah, hah, hah.   I also told her I spoke to my friend who is a lawyer about method of getting into the US and he did not know about it. Then I get an email back from her telling me how this is a good friend and she can not believe I do not trust her.  She does not want to be with a man if the man does not trust her.  
I sent her back an email saying that I do trust her, but I need evidence that her friend is not misleading her.  I am definitely done with her.  I may play with her and make up a Western Union number that I have sent her for the full amount of the money etc.  
Bottom line - she has been scamming me.  She made me go to the Ukraine, acted like she loved me, acted like she wanted to spend the rest of her life with me, made me fall in lust, all the while waiting for me to leave with the thoughts of getting as much money out of me as possible for her to process her International passport and do her fiance visa paperwork.  I have never read about a scam like this.  So, my word to the wise here at this board is that you now know about this scam and if you are taken advantage of by this type of scam it is now your fault.

... in response to Re: Safe to say my girl was a scammer, posted by Jeff on Feb 7, 2002

O.K. Oksana,
you refused the 60 year old millionare in Hawaii, but just suppose Jeff had been older.  How much older would you accept if your Jeff had not been around your age?  You say that 19 years difference is ridiculous but what would you say is the limit of being reasonable?

... in response to Re: how far would you go?, posted by Oksana on Feb 8, 2002

Your story, Oksana, is so much like mine! After about a year of receiving letters from AM I was so frustrated and almost gave up.Thats when I received letter form Jeff.I knew he is the one for me. He wrote nice letter bout him and his family and how close they are and how much his family means to him.I was so impressed and touched since majority of AM who wrote to me tried to impress me with pictures and decription how welthy they are and how much they has to offer(material things). But money is not what I was looking for.Anyway after 6 month of correspondence with Jeff he came to Belarus (country I'm from). We were so sure in our feelings to each other that we decided to marry in my country.He surprised me with ring he brought with him. He said that even though he never see me in person, by letters, by conversation on the phone, by sound of my voice he knew I'm the woman he was looking for.So we got married. Then he flew back, prepared all immigration papers for me and my daughter which took 6 months and came to Belarus again. Together we went for interview in Warsaw and all of us then come to USA.

... in response to Re: Safe to say my girl was a scammer, posted by Jeff on Feb 7, 2002

My husband name is Jeff also We have been happily married for 6 years already.How long have you been married?

... in response to Re: Hi Oksana!, posted by Jeff on Feb 7, 2002

We have 2 children. Aleksandra is 10 and Ean 5. We live in NC.Where do you live?

... in response to Re: Safe to say my girl was a scammer, posted by Jeff on Feb 7, 2002

read your view and your thoughts,  please stay. Tim

... in response to Re: Thank You Oksana.  It is great to, posted by Jeff on Feb 7, 2002


Your son is an AM? Oh no! Is he chasing 1 month olds?

I mean... that would be a "babe" half his age, right?

;-)

... in response to Safe to say my girl was a scammer, posted by Bobby Orr on Feb 6, 2002

for bringing up the most intriguing discussion we've had in weeks... and all troll free. What an accomplishment. This is how the board should go.

-blm