Vonnage is free in Russia!!

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

Next to the Crim, Chelyabinsk is known as being "scam central".

Says who?

A few years ago a Russian scam ring working out of Chelyabinsk got busted, but only after scamming no less than 1,500 men from around the world.

[Rob_Lesya 4]

Next to the Crim, Chelyabinsk is known as being "scam central".

Says who?

A few years ago a Russian scam ring working out of Chelyabinsk got busted, but only after scamming no less than 1,500 men from around the world.

Yes, that was a husband and wife team that got arrested back in 2002. But Chelyabinsk is hardly unique. There are scammers working out of almost every city of any consequence in the FSU (including cities in Belarus, btw). And it's not just the FSU -- there are scammers working throughout the world, even in the US. It IS a bit sad to see how many desperate and gullible guys there are around the world. And of course, it's not just men-- there have been many cases of women being scammed as well, although that's not nearly as common.

The point is that ANYBODY who makes their contacts through a MOB site needs to go into it with open eyes and exercise some caution, especially in the beginning of the correspondence. Luckily, I travel enough throughout Russia that I've never needed to resort to a MOB site to meet anyone. Of course, that doesn't mean that I'm immune from meeting scammers, but it does allow me to have a much better "feel" for a person even in an initial meeting.

We've had guys come though this forum over the years (and again I'm sure this forum is not unique) who became the victim of scams. Sometimes it was females bleeding the guy of funds for many months knowing full well that they were never going to leave their home country. Sometimes it's folks who came here and married knowing full well that they were going to file for divorce the day after receiving the green card.

So bottom line --- everyone should keep their senses and keep their eyes open when beginning a "relationship." If it seems like there are a lot of questions that are not being answered, if there are questions or doubts that are surfacing in your mind, if something simply doesn't "feel right" --- don't be afraid to move on. There are plenty of honest and sincere folks out there with whom to develop a relationship.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

+1 for the above post. It seems to be a hit or miss. A fellow Alaskan I worked with over on Sakhalin married a gal over there and their marriage has worked out great. Another one in the same boat wasn't so lucky. He flew home from work (North Slope) only to find his wife left him two days after her two years was up.

[visaveteran 1]

Next to the Crim, Chelyabinsk is known as being "scam central".

Says who?

A few years ago a Russian scam ring working out of Chelyabinsk got busted, but only after scamming no less than 1,500 men from around the world.

Yes, that was a husband and wife team that got arrested back in 2002. But Chelyabinsk is hardly unique. There are scammers working out of almost every city of any consequence in the FSU (including cities in Belarus, btw). And it's not just the FSU -- there are scammers working throughout the world, even in the US. It IS a bit sad to see how many desperate and gullible guys there are around the world. And of course, it's not just men-- there have been many cases of women being scammed as well, although that's not nearly as common.

The point is that ANYBODY who makes their contacts through a MOB site needs to go into it with open eyes and exercise some caution, especially in the beginning of the correspondence. Luckily, I travel enough throughout Russia that I've never needed to resort to a MOB site to meet anyone. Of course, that doesn't mean that I'm immune from meeting scammers, but it does allow me to have a much better "feel" for a person even in an initial meeting.

We've had guys come though this forum over the years (and again I'm sure this forum is not unique) who became the victim of scams. Sometimes it was females bleeding the guy of funds for many months knowing full well that they were never going to leave their home country. Sometimes it's folks who came here and married knowing full well that they were going to file for divorce the day after receiving the green card.

So bottom line --- everyone should keep their senses and keep their eyes open when beginning a "relationship." If it seems like there are a lot of questions that are not being answered, if there are questions or doubts that are surfacing in your mind, if something simply doesn't "feel right" --- don't be afraid to move on. There are plenty of honest and sincere folks out there with whom to develop a relationship.

I could ask what this has to do with Vonage in Russia...but what the heck. The Chelyabinsk area is infamous for something beyond scammers...it's rated as the most polluted area in the world. A secret atomic work site has had three accidents and is an environmental nightmare. Maybe all that radiation has effected the residents behavior.

You state there are scammers all over the world, even the USA. What's your point? And where did you get your data?

[SuperDuper! 230]

Hi, FOlks, I hope you don't mind me chiming in from the Phils, forum but BOTH of these topics are near and dear to my heart, and universal to both of our countries.

1. Cheap or free phone calls is one thing, but getting good and easy phone logs is another. Lucky you, calling the Russian Federation is much cheaper than calling the Phils. I use my cable company phone service and their Int'l. calling plan, and I get the lowest rate of .16/min to call my girl's cell phone. But the best part is the great, professional looking phone log that arrives in the mail each month, and I just throw it in the file for Consulate proof later, and dont have to worry about archiving and retriving and printing it out. Otherwise we use YM chat to have free voice chat, and I can pull these archives if I want. So I guess I advocate for paying a little more per minute, if your calling card or phone service provides you with a great phone log you can easily use for obtaining that visa!

2. There will always be opportunists who are looking to capitalize on human loneliness. In the Phils, I understand there are organized scamming schools, with "she-males" commonly behind the computer. Unbelievably, there are naive and uninitiated man who will send money even before seeing the girl on cam or otherwise knowing much about her. That is the quick and little money. Then of course there is the longer term scam under the guise of a true love relationship, only to be broken off just before going to the embassy interview, and then the GC scam where the charade is played out up to the day that the GC arrives in the mail. Maybe it is similar in Russia, but you guys know more about that than I do.

Bottom line for me: For the uninitiated man seeking a MOB, it is easy to be complacent and blase about the reality of scammers and fraudsters, with hearts so cold they will rip yours out, even when you are building your world around a woman whom you barely know, or more likely, don't even know, as she only has treachery in her heart, and you are only interacting with a superficial actress who is gunning for your wallet and GC documentation.

Good luck in life and love to all of us!

[AKguy 1]

I'm trying to understand why the comment about Chelyabinsk was even made? The peanut gallery comments are always interesting in this neck of the forum.

As for the pollution in Chel, I was surprised too when I found that out. I'm trying to show a buddy of mine at work where Anna lives. I do the ol' Google search and the first link says, "Chelyabinsk, one of the most polluted places on Earth"... Um, yeah, that's where she lives...

I always found a good use for her third arm though. It was either an extra arm, or her Siamese twin.

[clueless_in_usa 8]

If I am getting scammed and she is just waiting until the two-year mark to let me know her secret, then she deserves the GC, because I am loving every minute of the scam

I wish all scams were so pleasant

[slim 1,525]

My wife was supposed to leave this summer. She's still here. We're about to hit our three year anniversary. So much for her scam.