# Russian Gals on the Internet **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 8, 2005, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-gals-on-the-internet/320701 "2005-09-08T20:00:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mamboman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecb155/32.png) [@mamboman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mamboman)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2005, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-gals-on-the-internet/320701/1 "2005-09-08T20:00:36Z")
Hey O Not sure if this is GQ or CS, but lately the mamboman has been inundated with e-mails from nubile young Russian girls who would very much like to meet the man of their dreams for friendship, marriage and life in a new country. I suspect naturally, there is some sort of scammery, flim-flammery and/or bunko artistry going on here, but I have been amused by the similarity of each girl’s MO in every case - no access to their own computer, absent father, much the same mangled Rocky-and-Bullwinkle grammar, “good” job usually involving a college degree and the all say they are really good cooks (and overwhelmingly blonde). So what’s the straight dope on lonely Russian Internet gals - do they even exist, do they just roll off a dating agency production line, are lonely western men lured to gruesome deaths behind the former iron curtain, are they pawns in the game of vicious Russian mafiosi - or are they real life love stories waiting to unfold, with happy endings, sunsets, noodle salad etc? anyone know? mm ---
**Author:** ![wasson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/4da419/32.png) [@wasson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wasson)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2005, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-gals-on-the-internet/320701/2 "2005-09-08T20:07:11Z")
I think the scam is that they establish an email relationship with the unsuspecting gent, then offer to come marry them and love them forever. But first they need a few grand for the plane ticket/paying off debtors/whatever. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2005, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-gals-on-the-internet/320701/3 "2005-09-08T20:14:29Z")
Those are probably scams but there really are hoards of Russian and Asian brides to be ready to come to the U.S. and satisfy your desires. I don’t think you find the real ones through Spam but there are agencies that specialize in this sort of thing. You have to pay the agency thousands to get one but they are real. ---
**Author:** ![Crandolph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7cd45c/32.png) [@Crandolph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crandolph)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2005, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-gals-on-the-internet/320701/4 "2005-09-08T20:15:13Z")
One of my friends just married a very nice Russian woman a few months ago. They’ve spent a few years getting to know each other & he visited her several times & got to know her family. Everything about it seems on the up and up, and she’s a well-educated woman who wants to meet a guy who isn’t an alcoholic, has employment prospects and doesn’t look at women like livestock. She wasn’t likely to find that at home. I imagine there are as many happy endings as scams if one uses some common sense, puts the time into it and has realistic expectations. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2005, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-gals-on-the-internet/320701/5 "2005-09-08T20:19:12Z")
> [@](#): > > hoards Do they keep them stacked up in the back room? Or are there hordes of them out on the steppes? ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2005, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-gals-on-the-internet/320701/6 "2005-09-08T20:43:17Z")
Those are probably scams but there really are hoards of Russian and Asian brides to be ready to come to the U.S. and satisfy your desires. I don’t think you find the real ones through Spam but there are agencies that specialize in this sort of thing. You have to pay the agency thousands to get one but they are real. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2005, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-gals-on-the-internet/320701/7 "2005-09-08T20:51:50Z")
Previous threads you might be interested in: > **[The Truth About Mail-Order Brides](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=320803)** > > I have recently been looking at some mail-order bride websites and have had several friends tell me that they are a scam. Some of them seem to be legitimate businesses and I now realize that I need the straight dope. Are these places scams? What... > **[Mail order bride & sour honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=212249)** > > So I’m a dumbass: There’s this Nice Young Man\*\*\[sup\]TM\*\*\[/sup\] (Let’s call him Bubba)in my community that makes his living off of bees. That’s right, he’s a professional beekeeper. Now in the beekeeping business, income is seasonal and prices can... ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2005, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-gals-on-the-internet/320701/8 "2005-09-08T20:55:56Z")
You’re letting the details cloud your vision. The scam is that they get you to marry them. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2005, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-gals-on-the-internet/320701/9 "2005-09-08T20:57:21Z")
There’s a site run by an Elena Petrova (google the name plus “Russian bride”) that seemed reputable when I looked into this a couple of years ago. It offered a lot of advice and information on the cultural side of things, and made it very clear what kind of resources, travel, etc are necessary to find an overseas bride. The resources are significant: around $20,000 and up for several trips to her homeland, accomodations for both yourself and candidate women in the city where you meet, etc. The site ended up convincing me out of such a search; I simply didn’t have those kind of resources. If your spam is not revealing potential downsides and difficulty as well as rewards, then it’s a scam, definitely. And it’s so easy to just fabricate identities: just take a picture from the internet, add a likely-sounding name and some random stats, and voilà! Instant bait. Elena’s site has a lot to say about the scams as well. Me, I’m going to the Congress of the Esperanto-speaking peoples in Italy next year. Given that many Esperanto speakers are from eastern Europe, I figure I have a better chance there than on the internet, and I already have something in common with potential wives: the language! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![SnakesCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@SnakesCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnakesCatLady)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2005, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-gals-on-the-internet/320701/10 "2005-09-08T20:58:46Z")
I know a guy who went through one of those expensive agencies - met her family, got to know her, the whole nine yards. The girl was beautiful, and things seemed to go well for a few years. The only problem was that she wanted to have a baby immediately, while he wanted to wait until he was more established in his career and making more money. Finally it’s time for baby and they have a beautiful baby boy. Six months later she divorces him and takes the child - doesn’t move back to Russia but to another state where his chances to see his son are small, but he does get to pay loads of child support. ---
**Author:** ![Big\_Whistle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Big\_Whistle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Big_Whistle)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2005, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-gals-on-the-internet/320701/11 "2005-09-08T22:30:29Z")
My brother is married to a woman from St. Petersburg. He met her through one of the well-known agencies on line for Russian women. They have been happily married now for four years. ---
**Author:** ![groman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/73ab20/32.png) [@groman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/groman)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2005, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-gals-on-the-internet/320701/12 "2005-09-08T23:41:28Z")
> [@Big Whistle](#): > > My brother is married to a woman from St. Petersburg. He met her through one of the well-known agencies on line for Russian women. They have been happily married now for four years. That’s the scam 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![citybadger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/45deac/32.png) [@citybadger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/citybadger)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-gals-on-the-internet/320701/13 "2005-09-09T00:05:44Z")
I put myself up on a legit (well, as legit as it gets) internet dating site\*. A Russian woman contacted me and for fun I’ve been corresponding with her. I have no doubt she’s completely genuine. I should break it off sooner rather than later. I really don’t want to break her heart. Of course, maybe she has a dozen names on her email list. —self serving footnote---- - interested NYC female dopers in their late 20’s or 30’s are welcome to email me to ask for the link. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Tenar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@Tenar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tenar)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-gals-on-the-internet/320701/14 "2005-09-09T01:19:57Z")
I understand that Russian internet dating/marriage scams are HUGE. Don’t even think about it. [This is just reference to the problem. There are lots more.](http://www.womenrussia.com/blacklist.htm) I remember reading last year about a bunch of Russian gangsters who were making a FORTUNE sending out fake letters purporting to be a young female dentist from Russia. Inevitably, she needed money for plane tickets to come and visit her beloved… ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-gals-on-the-internet/320701/15 "2005-09-09T03:33:10Z")
Yes, that page is from Elena Petrova’s site. Now, I ain’t no movie star. My first reaction to some Russian women gushing all over me by letter _before we’d even gotten to know each other_ would be suspicion. ---
**Author:** ![Random](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/57b2e6/32.png) [@Random](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Random)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-gals-on-the-internet/320701/16 "2005-09-09T03:42:07Z")
> [@engineer\_comp\_geek](#): > > Previous threads you might be interested in: > [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=320803](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=320803) > [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=212249](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=212249) Is one of these about the guy with the bees? (okay, okay, I’ll check myself.) ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-gals-on-the-internet/320701/17 "2005-09-09T03:43:14Z")
> [@Random](#): > > Is one of these about the guy with the bees? (okay, okay, I’ll check myself.) The second one. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Giant\_Spongess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/94ad74/32.png) [@Giant\_Spongess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giant_Spongess)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-gals-on-the-internet/320701/18 "2005-09-09T03:51:10Z")
What about all the Russian men? Enquiring minds want to know. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-gals-on-the-internet/320701/19 "2005-09-09T04:16:21Z")
There are no Russian women left for them, so they have to order mail-order brides from America. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/2bfe46/32.png) [@John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Carter_of_Mars)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-gals-on-the-internet/320701/20 "2005-09-09T05:52:42Z")
> [@Giant\_Spongess](#): > > What about all the Russian men? Enquiring minds want to know. Check out the bottom link posted by **engineer\_comp\_geek** below. There are several posts in that thread by **Eva Luna** , who is an immigration specialist and lived in Russia for some time. Several others had some experience in this area as well. > [@engineer\_comp\_geek](#): > > Previous threads you might be interested in: > [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=320803](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=320803) > [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=212249](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=212249) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-gals-on-the-internet/320701.md?page=2)