The brief story - Man in US falls for woman in Ukraine. I have invested many, many hours reading about the country, culture, traditions and so on. I have learned that organized crime and scams are running rampant. But, I have also read of success stories. Below is a copy of some of the email from my lady friend on the subject and Visa/Passports and flight arrangements.
I want to buy the ticket myself so there are some protections afforded to me.
Please read her reply and give your full, honest opinion. Don't worry about my feelings.
Honey, they told me me that on-line tickets are not suitable because...because honey i think everything is too strange in my country!!! they told me that you can buy an on-line ticket for me, but it will just be laying at the shelve at my home because it won't be accepted. I was told that as far as Ukrainian government is very concerned about people travelling to another country, they have such rules, that if a person is travelling abroad, the government has to be aware that a person has money and can afford this trip. so they made a rule that when a person applied for a travelling visa, the ticket should be bought at the same place where a person applies for visa! so the ticket and visa go together and they also made such a thing that earlier, to travel abroad, one should travel to Kiev and apply for visa there, then come back, wait for approval and go to Kiev again and take visa if the visa is approved. not they make it easier and in the office they just have a agent who gathers a few applications for visas and travels with them to Kiev and waits for approval and then comes back. so, they made people's life easier such a way. but as far as in my city there are only filias of the agencies who let people travel abroad, they do not have many modern appliances and they have some established rules that if a person applies for visa in their company, he should buy a ticket in their company too and they do not ask the paper where it is written about finances, but a person comes to them and pays for the ticket and visa with cash. such a way a paper about the salary is not needed and they receive a percent for it, as far as understood. honey, everything is so complicated!
Mark, honey, and when
do you think our first meeting will happen??? i am waiting for it with
impatience and i hope that it will happen in the nearest future,
i will gladly study American history and learn how to drive, my dear 
))
honey, actually i can start applying for all the documents now already, but i have to pay for them at once and i don't have money!
baby, I have a Ukrainian passport since i am 16, but i need an international passport to be able to travel abroad.
then, i was told that there is a bonus Holiday programme now and if i have to buy tickets, i can book them having paid half of the sum for them, and later i pay all the rest, and i will get tickets with open dates. such a way i will have a fixed price for tickets, i will have time to pay for them and i don't have to give dates at once, my dear! quite comfortable, yes? the programme lasts for 2 more weeks only and then it's over.
travelling visa will be given to me in a week time after i applied for it!
so, my love, if i had money in my hands today, i could be in your arms in 2 weeks already!
I need many opinions
HI Mark,
Well as far as i know Ukrainian girls and lived here for 7 years i want to tell you that i don't believe this girl because the way she is explaining things is very strange and believe me Mark i have been friend with a lot of different girls who were from different families but i am sorry to say that 60%girls here are in search of a man with money and they don't care about feelings because salaries here are very low and Ukrainian people want to live like European people which they see through Media etc.....and this is why you should be very careful.Mark i would like to help you as i live here in Ukraine but i don't know how can i help you!!!
.I hope i am wrong about this girl but all this seems strange to me.
All that i said above is not to Hurt the feelings of Ukrainian people but just my opinion and my knowledge about Ukrainian girls.
Hi Ted,
Thank you for your feedback. Frankly, her finding a guy for money isn't in play here. Because I have been suspicious with this "relationship" since day one. So I made it known up front, I'm not rich. Work average job, broken down car (lied about both points) and live in apartment and not house.
My biggest fear is that she convinces me to send her the money via Western Union and of course, I never hear from her again. And she's got $1500.+ of my money.
Could you verify for me the information she presented. Such as the her government won't allow her to use a ticket that is purchased for her abroad? I don't buy that one. That's a red flag to me. There have been a few others. But that is a big one
Tedd Bundy wrote:HI Mark,
Well as far as i know Ukrainian girls and lived here for 7 years i want to tell you that i don't believe this girl because the way she is explaining things is very strange and believe me Mark i have been friend with a lot of different girls who were from different families but i am sorry to say that 60%girls here are in search of a man with money and they don't care about feelings because salaries here are very low and Ukrainian people want to live like European people which they see through Media etc.....and this is why you should be very careful.Mark i would like to help you as i live here in Ukraine but i don't know how can i help you!!!
All that i said above is not to Hurt the feelings of Ukrainian people but just my opinion and my knowledge about Ukrainian girls.
Mark ok i will verify this information about ticket tomorrow.
Mark i verified the information about her(your girl friend) presented that her government won't allow her to use a ticket that is purchased for her abroad.
Well Lawyer told me that there is no such law that can stop a Ukrainian national from traveling on a ticket which is purchased for her.he further said that the person(your girl friend) who is invited by a private visa from a Friend/family member etc can travel without any problem as the inviting person takes responsibility of her stay/accommodation/etc and is Answerable for all her needs.
And if you are not inviting your girl to your country and she wants to visit on her own without mentioning you at the Airport or Embassy then she needs to show her Bank account or show money in order to fulfill her needs for the time she will spend in that country.
Very nice job Tedd. Thank you very much. If there is anything you ever need, please don't hesitate to ask.
Tedd Bundy wrote:Mark i verified the information about her(your girl friend) presented that her government won't allow her to use a ticket that is purchased for her abroad.
Well Lawyer told me that there is no such law that can stop a Ukrainian national from traveling on a ticket which is purchased for her.he further said that the person(your girl friend) who is invited by a private visa from a Friend/family member etc can travel without any problem as the inviting person takes responsibility of her stay/accommodation/etc and is Answerable for all her needs.
And if you are not inviting your girl to your country and she wants to visit on her own without mentioning you at the Airport or Embassy then she needs to show her Bank account or show money in order to fulfill her needs for the time she will spend in that country.
Hi,
I don't get on here often and rarely give advice. I have spent a great deal of time in Ukraine over the past years. I have lived in Krivoy Rog among others. I currently am in process of bringing a lady to US. That's my short background. My Russian is basic but enough to get around.
Now to answer your concerns. First, it is not a small or quick issue to acquire a visa to USA for a single woman. A fiancée visa can take 6 months or more. A travel visa can be acquired quicker through a local travel agency. There are many travel agencies in Krivoy Rog. You can buy tickets through them or buy electronic ticket that is in her name for departure at Kiev BoriSpyl, like Delta or KLM.
There are expenses she will incur and she probably won't be able to afford. You will need to finance everything. The wages are not high in the white economy.
There are many wonderful, honest and good women in Ukraine that would make wonderful wives. But there are also many very slick dating operations designed to take your money. The letters are often not even written by the woman you think, but by hired operators. The purpose is to keep you in fantasy land long enough to get some money. It is not easy to separate the wheat from the chaff. Pictures usually LIE.
I will give you best advice I have ever heard.
1. NEVER give money to someone you don't know personally and intimately. That means personal meetings not letters or emails.
Do not try to bring a woman here unless you have met many times in person and spent enough time to really know her. Ukraine/Russian women are culturally different...not bad just different.
If you have not met in person, you should go and meet her in KR. Rent a flat and spend lots of time together. It will be cheaper in long run. KR is not Kiev or Odessa but it has a charm f it's own with good folks. Many people speak some English. I even know a lady who works as mediator/translator for fair price if your lady does not speak English.
Ok, enough advice and meddling from me. I wish you good success. Please be wise and cautious.
Mark you are Welcomed!!!
Thank you very much for your time, opinion and feedback. I take your advice willingly. I agree with you about that this is looking like a scam. She hasn't gotten any money from me. And won't. Because I am now given the story that she only has enough money for 2 more visits to the Internet cafe and then we will loose touch with each other.
My attitude? Oh Well! Easy come, easy go. I never paid a woman money for ANYTHING and I sure as hell ain't gonna start now.
But, I will admit. I have been having fun with this.
akguide wrote:Hi,
I don't get on here often and rarely give advice. I have spent a great deal of time in Ukraine over the past years. I have lived in Krivoy Rog among others. I currently am in process of bringing a lady to US. That's my short background. My Russian is basic but enough to get around.
Now to answer your concerns. First, it is not a small or quick issue to acquire a visa to USA for a single woman. A fiancée visa can take 6 months or more. A travel visa can be acquired quicker through a local travel agency. There are many travel agencies in Krivoy Rog. You can buy tickets through them or buy electronic ticket that is in her name for departure at Kiev BoriSpyl, like Delta or KLM.
There are expenses she will incur and she probably won't be able to afford. You will need to finance everything. The wages are not high in the white economy.
There are many wonderful, honest and good women in Ukraine that would make wonderful wives. But there are also many very slick dating operations designed to take your money. The letters are often not even written by the woman you think, but by hired operators. The purpose is to keep you in fantasy land long enough to get some money. It is not easy to separate the wheat from the chaff. Pictures usually LIE.
I will give you best advice I have ever heard.
1. NEVER give money to someone you don't know personally and intimately. That means personal meetings not letters or emails.
Do not try to bring a woman here unless you have met many times in person and spent enough time to really know her. Ukraine/Russian women are culturally different...not bad just different.
If you have not met in person, you should go and meet her in KR. Rent a flat and spend lots of time together. It will be cheaper in long run. KR is not Kiev or Odessa but it has a charm f it's own with good folks. Many people speak some English. I even know a lady who works as mediator/translator for fair price if your lady does not speak English.
Ok, enough advice and meddling from me. I wish you good success. Please be wise and cautious.
Hello.
To note that some off topic posts have been moved.
Can you please concentrate on the initial subject?
Thank you,
Aurélie
As the AUTHOR of original post, I know what the initial subject topic is far better than you. Thank you very much.
The theme of this thread is to find out if I am a potential victim to an apparent scam. Or to learn if this lady is legitimate and sincere with her feelings.
So how did we deviate from that objective????????
I would appreciated if you would restore this thread to it's original status.
Aurélie wrote:Hello.
To note that some off topic posts have been moved.
Can you please concentrate on the initial subject?
Thank you,
Aurélie
Thank you very much
Aurélie wrote:Hello.
To note that some off topic posts have been moved.
Can you please concentrate on the initial subject?
Thank you,
Aurélie
Some thoughts:
1. All the "honey"s are a tell. They are a classic usage in porn model scams and chat sessions, or those writing for such. Most valid UA women are better educated than that.
2. In this context, drop-dead dates are almost surely another tell and are best disregarded.
3. Ukraine is not in the Soviet Union any more, and its citizens are not prisoners. It has contemplated joining NATO; it just co-hosted the European soccer championships. In short, the Byzantine procedures she described for simple travel are, ummm, unlikely.
4. Visit the website of the Ukrainian embassy in the US.(http://www.mfa.gov.ua/usa/en/). I think you'll find some contradictions.
5. Visit the US Embassy web site in Kiev (http://ukraine.usembassy.gov/) for an in depth briefing on scams.
6. Contact me via e-mail ([email protected]) if you'd like more discussion. Been there, done that, but I'm still going to check out the scene for myself (in Springtime -- not now, Brrrr!)
Articles to help you in your expat project in Ukraine
Dos in Ukraine
In Ukraine, everything depends on your hobbies and interests as far as free time is concerned. I will write about ...
Many people still think that Ukraine is a part of Russia, but they are soo wrong. Ukraine is one of the biggest ...
There are more than 180 banks in Ukraine, totalling more than 21,000 branches.
R&B beach cafe
