Although we often prefer ignoring preparation stage, one of the best sayings is “Look before you leap”. If you learn all information about internet scamming and thoroughly prepare not to be scammed, you may reduce unpleasant cases to almost zero.

In total, only 0,5% of all dating agencies and services are scammers. However, they work fast and professionally, processing thousands of dating offers, just because it is simple to send the same letters and replies to numerous web attendants. So, a scammer can reach practically anybody who is involved in online dating and according to estimates, about 40% of men practicing Western-Russian dating get in contact with scammer at least once.

Moreover, communicating with a scammer can turn not only into financial, but also emotional investment since some of men realize that they are in contact with a scammer when they already experience some strong feelings towards “her”.

Lets try to make up a detailed and complete anti-scam checklist that should help predict and prevent practically ANY scam attack.

• Any free dating website where men and women can post their profiles without being checked by an expert is a fertile soil for scammers. It does not mean that those websites are overall unreliable, but the chances of scammers’ presence are the highest here.
• Before you start reading profiles, it is important to check the dating agency or website. Learn carefully all information available about the website and clients’ reviews if there are. It is a benefit for you if the agency is a member of the Anti Scam Program.
• The woman writes to you in perfect English. Ask correctly whether she is professionally practicing a foreign language or uses a translator, in any other case she is unable to use pretty good English.
• There are some obscure details in her personal information. For instance, she does not supply you with her postal address or phone number and feels insulted when you ask her for personal details that can result in her real identification.
• The woman starts writing romantic and touching letters within two or three weeks from your acquaintance. It is impossible that she falls in love just from the beginning of your relationships. Even if it happens, it is not characteristic of a Russian woman to make a declaration of love until she is assured in return feelings. Most often, this is a man, who makes the first step toward more intimate relationships.
• The woman avoids answering your specific questions but asks her own questions in return in order to change the subject. Her replies may not correspond to ideas expressed in your letters as though she never read them. This happens because, in most cases, scammers send prewritten texts to all potential “clients” and you may never receive answers to your questions.
• The woman does not want you to visit her in her native country but tells she would better visit you and has a travel agent who can help.

Look through the cases when a scammer can ask money from you. The general reply to all situations listed below is that no genuine Russian woman asks money from a foreigner. Real cases when Westerners financially support their Russian brides occur, but this happens only to couples who have communicated for a year or more, established serious relationships and seen each other face to face.

• The woman uses an Internet café and needs money to pay for it.
• Loss of job or need for medical assistance makes her ask you for financial support.
• She intends to visit you and asks you to financially assist her travel since her own savings are not enough.

And last but not least question you may be interested in is “How I get to know that she is real?” In fact, there are many ways to do it from asking for a passport scan or other identification document to visiting a woman in her country.

The main thing about personal identification is that this question alarms both partners as their online communication proceeds from one stage to another. Hence, if you ask for passport scan from your pen pal, you should send your own in return and no one should feel offended, insulted or paranoid about this. It is just another stage of your relationship, which brings more confidence and mutual trust to both of you.