Pittsburgh Internet Dating Stories

Men in their 40′s nd 50′s report to me that as soon as they sign up for Internet dating sites, they start to get emails from young beautiful women in their 20′s who can’t wait to meet them. The addresses are local, but the broken English suggests a non-native speaker. (Although, maybe I’m being hasty here – not all school districts prepare their young charges as well as Mt. Lebanon does)

Early in his 7-year online dating career, a friend of mine got hit on by Maria Shishkina (that’s her photo – she is really Russian actress Ekaterina Guseva). Although he did not pursue it, if he had he would have ended up eventually with a letter like this (credit: www.agencyscams.com):

Hello my love!!!

How are you today? I am so happy to read your emails. Sorry for late responding. I think i love you so much you are very handsome man and i always dream about you. I told all about our relationships to my friends and they are very happy to see how i becoming more happy then was before you.

I dont know what else i can tell you but my mind full of words of love and nothing else. Every day i hope that all its real and you are not just my imagination. My friends say you hello. I have some present for you from them. I cant wait our meeting and think about you every day.

I was in travel agency to find out how i can get to fly to you. And be with you on Birthday. I hope we can make it, and i gave your email adress to travel agent and he promised me to send you all information about my trip. But there is one thing if we want to celebrate my birthday with you in your place , you should tell me will you help me or not, cause they will sale that cheap tickets and if we meet later it will cost much more for us and then later as they say it will be much more difficult to get visa which is valid during 1 month i dont know why but they told me that.

Think about it cause i cant afford it, cause i earn only 200 USD here , but you shouldnt worry i will give it back to you your money when we meet, cause i will work in some hospital and can earn some money for you. I am sorry to tell that but i am realy want to be with you. I dont know what else i can tell, you know everithing about me.

Of course if i could i will ask all my friends to lend me some but i dont have any friends who can do it for me , please understand it, soory if it make you sad. I hope you will understand me right. I can speak with all day and night but its better to speak face to face that we can know each other better. Dont you think so.

If you want i can fly to you only for a week and we will see how things go or i can stay with you forever, all in your hands. Ok now i give you a lot of kisses from me, and i give you my heart, and i belive in my dreams to be with you soon. Love you so much. Want to touch you and kiss you.!!! bye for now.

PS I will be waiting for your replay .

From Maria Shishkina with love!!!

Russia, Snezhinsk, Popova
street 15-2

Here is her fake agency’s money letter…

Dear Sir:

Due to the request of Maria Shishkina we send you the information about the tour from Snezhinsk , Russia to the USA Foreign passport – 100 USD Tourist visa for a month , one entry- 125 USD We can offer the next flight on 25 April.

We can’t provide you with the information about the exact time Maria arrives to you, we will have that information as soon as we receive full payment and start arranging the trip. If this time is ok for You and Miss Shishkina, you should make balance payment sooner.

Since our travel agency has discounts, the total price for the trip 989USD is valid for 5 days. Roundtrip tickets with the registration of all the documents for Maria’s flight costs 989USD We arrange all necessary documents and tickets in 8-14 days after receiving the full payment for the trip.

PAYMENT INFO: You can transfer the funds for the trip of Miss Shishkina via MONEY GRAMM or WESTERN UNION system. It is the fastest and the safest way to transfer the funds. Our travel agency is officially registerred as a private businessman Sergey Shibaev, Snezhinsk , Russian Federation .

As soon as you transfer the funds on the name of our director, will you please e-mail us your full name and MTCN (money transfer control number) and we shall get the funds the same or the other day after transfer.

Payment memo: Payment for Invoice 14-742-1829

Order Now You can also transfer the funds for the trip of Miss Shishkina to our bank account and we shall receive the funds in 3-4 working days.

This was an early scam and is pretty obvious, although some people have still got snookered. The scams are getting more sophisticated. I’ll keep you posted.

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