User:Elena-rd/Russian Dating Scams

Russian Dating Scams are a type of Internet fraud originating from Russian Federation that targets lonely Internet users around the world. The scammers approach foreign Internet users, establish trusting relationship with them, and then directly or indirectly request financial assistance.

The bulk of all Russian dating scams consist of different variations on a "travel scam" (also called "visa-and-tickets scam").

Travel Scam (also referred to as "visa-and-tickets scam")

This type of dating scam usually involves a monetary request to the victim for assistance with paying for the scammer's supposed international trip. Usually, the victim never meets the scammer in person. Majority of communication between the scammer and the victim take place via emails, instant messages, and phone / video chat conversations. The victim sends the money to help the scammer to travel, but the scammer just collects the money and never actually arranges the trip.

The travel scam

The scammers scour international dating sites to obtain contact information for potential victims (this process is called "fishing"). They set up a number of personal profiles ("baits") on various sites. Prospective victims then will either initiate contact with the "baits", or the scammers will select a number of potential victims' profiles. Once a sufficient numbers of potential victims is identified, a boiler-type introduction message is sent out to their email addresses. Those Internet users who respond to the scammers' "fishing message" become the prime targets of the scam.

The scammers then establish active correspondence with the prime targets. Usually, a simultaneous correspondence is carried out with many targets at the same time. Frequently, pre-written emails (boiler-plates) are utilized by the scammers during the initial stages of the correspondence.

The main goal of the scammers is to establish fake romantic relationship with the potential targets in order to successfully convince the targets to transfer money or other goods to the scammers. Most of the time, the scammers use fictional characters of attractive lonely Russian females ages 20-37, although several Russian scam groups have successfully experimented with setting up gay "baits" on major gay dating sites.

Once a certain amount of romantic emails has been exchanged between the "bait" and the target, the scammers will begin grooming the victim for the upcoming "money solicitation" phase of the scam. The "bait" will become more and more "romantically attracted" to the victim. Sexual fantasies, lover's chit-chat, and plans for possible future marriage may become commonplace. Eventually, the "bait" suggests a personal meeting.

The money-extracting phase of the scam begins with the requests for small monetary assistance with obtaining some travel-related item, such as a visa, a passport, or plane tickets. Frequently, the "bait" will introduce another "player" into the scam: a supposed travel agent or a travel agency. The "travel agent" will echo the "bait"'s money requests. If the target agrees to provide the requested monetary assistance, the scammers will soon present him with the next request for monetary assistance with travel-related expenses. If the target complies again, the scammers will present him with a third request, and so forth. Eventually, the victim tires out of the requests for more and more money. The scammers attempt to extract as much money as possible before the victim becomes impatient with the relationship (1).

Most frequently-used "travel-related" monetary requests:
 * for a passport
 * for a visa
 * for round-trip tickets
 * for a medical exam or a travel insurance
 * to demonstrate the bait's "financial solvency" to the Embassy workers or Customs officials
 * to repay a loan that supposedly prevents the bait from obtaining a permission to leave Russia for an overseas trip
 * to pay a legal fine for some item that the bait supposedly failed to declare to the Customs officials
 * to sell an apartment in Russia that the bait supposedly owns
 * to replace the money supposedly lost by the bait due to theft, robbery, or other misfortune
 * to provide medical treatment to the bait who was supposedly injured as a result of robbery or a car accident (1).

Travel Scam enhancement techniques

The most frequently used Travel Scam enhancement techniques are: 1) computer-generated images of travel documents; 2) pictures of "baits" holding up signs with greetings to the targets of the scam; 3) phone calls to the victim's home or his family members

Computer-generated images of documents are used to convince the target that supposed travel preparations are, indeed, taking place. Scammers use image editing software such as PhotoShop to generate those images. The most commonly used are images of passports, driving licenses, visas, plane tickets, and travel agency's licenses. Other documents, such as hospital bills, or police accident reports, or fine payment receipts, are generated on an as-needed basis.

Pictures of "baits" holding up signs are used to convince the skeptical victim that the "relationship" he has with the scammer is "real." Usually, models who are used as baits are asked to be photographed holding a blank piece of paper. Using that initial "blank" image as boiler-plate, the scammers can then use PhotoShop to over-impose text or images into the paper that the model is holding.

Phone calls to the victim are also used to convince the victim that the scammer is "real." Most "baits" claim to have no home phone or cell phone, so the victim usually cannot call them, but they ask the victims for the victim's phone number. After the scam moves into the money-extracting phase, the victim often start receiving phone calls from the "bait." Those phone calls are usually pretty short (many consist only of voice messages on the victim's answering machine) and often end abruptly, as if the connection was interrupted. When the victim and the "bait" do converse, the conversation is usually centered around the travel arrangements that the "bait" is supposedly making.

The costs to the victim

Little research has been performed to determine the average financial loss that Internet users experience as a result of their encounter with Russian dating scammers. According to one estimate, the average Internet user sends an average of $3000 - $4500 USD