Russian Mail Order Bride Scams

I'm mostly interested in Asian dating, but sometimes I venture over into the murky depths of Russian online dating.

It's clear to me that Russian mail order bride scams are extremely numerous. In fact increasing numbers of American men are getting so fed up with the scammers that they're abandoning Russia and Eastern Europe altogether. Latin brides are becoming increasingly popular, as are Chinese wives.

So far in my search for a Chinese wife I've been happy that most of the ladies I've talked to on foreign dating sites have been decent ladies. OK, so they might have personality issues or they might be looking for money more than love, but as men we can deal with these issues - they're not a lot different to what we face when seeking a bride in our own country.

In all my reading about Russian scams, it seems pretty much the same as the problems with the Asian dating scene. If you're going to look for a mail order bride in Russia or any other country, then bear these tips in mind:

• Be wary of sites that charge you each time you send a letter to a lady. They like to make out that foreign ladies are rare, when in fact it's incredibly easy to meet Russian or Asian ladies looking for marriage to a Western man. So just avoid these sites.
• Russian scammers are usually after money. Only the most brazen ladies directly ask for money. More often, they will tell you a sad story then expect you to offer to send money. Avoiding these scammers isn't that easy - they're numerous on Russian Euro, Ukraine Date and other Russian sites. But while you won't always avoid the scammers, you can avoid getting scammed! Just don't send any girl money - ever! Don't even send her money after you've visited her. A friend of mine might have the right idea - he's dated dozens of foreign ladies, and he NEVER buys them gifts until after marriage! Yes that's tough but it's a surefire way of avoiding all the scammers and most of the gold diggers, and just find a lady who wants to marry you for who you are, not how big your bank balance is.
• Many scammers aren't Russian women or even women. Increasing numbers of African and Middle Eastern men are signing up to dating sites in order to scam gullible (usually American) people. If you learn some Russian language and culture then you can easily spot the non-Russians that are increasingly infiltrating online dating sites.