Yana Lukaschevych
(Dnepropetrovsk)
I met Yana Lukaschevych (maiden name
Kazanskaya, from Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine) back in November in Kiev. We had wonderful time and planned to get
married. There was one problem though: she was still trying to get divorced
from her husband (who wouldn't consent to it, plus he was serving time in
jail... that's her story). About 5 weeks after I came back to the US, she
asked me for $900 to bribe officials in her country to get the divorce
done. I told her $900 was too much money. Next day she tells me she was
able to negotiate the price down to $400. I was naive, blinded by her "love" and beauty. I sent her $500. Not to mention all the gifts I had
given her during my visit to the Ukraine. For the following 2 weeks, she
did not write me a word. But I kept writing to her, wondering why she's
silent and assuring her of my love. She finally replied: "Do not experience, it is simple at me now there is no money to pay the
Internet."
I am shocked she's asking for even more money!!!!!!!!!!! Needless to say, I feel cheated, abused and ashamed of myself.
How can I warn every man out there of her??
Here's her profile on the internet: http://p.absoluteagency.com/profile/person.asp?pcode=&kod=A420977
Mike
 
Ekaterina Mykhailova
(Kiev)
My story its absolutely same like every one has been scammed.
I was in contact (e-mails) with a girl the last 4 months, she was very smart and when after few e-mails
I refuse her request for send her money she answer me that my refuse will not have any negative affect on our
relation. She gives me any personal details i ask ,her telephone,
address, and after 4 months she makes me travel to Kiev to meet her, so, few
days before my trip she ask me if its possible to bring her one photo camera (
Olympus, Nikon or Canon mirroring) and for her brother a watch (Tissot)
and she promises that her brother will give me that money on my arrival
because she knew that is costly. Then she told me that its much better to let her
arrange apartment for me because its much cheaper and she can stay with me.
I send 110$,she answer me that everything its ok, and I just went to
Kiev, but!! She was waiting me in airport, we take a taxi and we go to
apartment, then she told me that I need to pay more 480$ (for 6 days total 590)
of course I become angry and I say that I am going to a hotel and next day
I am leaving Kiev, she say ok, my brother will arrange with the owner and you will pay only 80 plus (total 190).
Any way I accept it. After this she ask me if i want to go with her and her brother in
cinema, we wend and after they goes, but before they go they take the watch.
Next day they come in apartment (both again) and she say that she want to go in some
tourist places to take some photos with the new camera that I brought to
her, (the camera was still in my hands ,and after (she promises) we will go in a
disco, ( only me and she). During our walk her brother ask me 250$ as a loan till next
day, I say no, I was sure about the end of this story, and I was not
mistaken, she and her brother disappear.
Her name is: Ekaterina Mykhailova
And her address: Prospect Svobody 16 apt. 47, Kiev, Ukraine
 
Elena (Lena) Shkolnaya
(Kiev)
I wish to notify about an Ukrainian lady that really scammed me a lot
of money... her name is Elena (Lena) Shkolnaya, and her address is
Kybalchicha street 11-B,
f-97, Kiev, Ukaine; phone: +38044 545-5023. She asked me U$400 for her passport
(fast service one) and then U$200 for expenses. Then I was going to send her the air-ticket by my
travel agency via computer when she said: "oh, no... just send me the
money cash and I buy it here..." I refused and send it
electronically. When I called her to tell her that the ticket have been
sent, she said she cant fly until a month because her grandmother is sick and she is selling her house for
her, etc; a week later, she disappeared. Nobody answers her home phone number
anymore. I was lucky; I didn't lost the U$1200 of her flight, since Lufthansa reimbursed me 90% of the
cost. Sending you her photo too. So be careful, she speaks good
English and in a soft voice...
ROBERT
 
Natalya Goncharova (Makeevka)
Hello
I would like to report a scammer. Her name is
Natalya Goncharova.
The agency she works through are also involved as they stated she was genuine - the details of the agency are:
Eileen Marriage Agency
Office 27, Lenina street, 18
Makeevka, Ukraine
E-Mail: office@eileen.iwarp.com
Homepage: http://eileen.iwarp.com
What got me suspicious was this canned photo I received from her:
If you see it, the head (supposed to be her) has been crudely stuck on
someone else's body! Another earlier photo was:
This lady asked me for $200 US for a passport, then she was proposing that I
send money for the air ticket etc, the usual scam. I approached the Agency manager about the canned photo and she came up with
a very weak excuse that the photo was genuine! I never heard back.
Chris
Marina Harchenko
(Kremenchug)
I am writing to give warning about a scammer. She
places ads at free personals websites and uses the
following contact information:
Marina Harchenko
H.13 Ap.114
Pobeda Street
Kremenchug
Ukraine
39600
vel139@sat.poltava.ua
I began my Internet "romance" with her last October after responding to her
ad. In her second letter to me she asked for money to "help [her] pay for
[her] mailing" as, she alluded, that would be the only way she would be
able to continue our correspondence:
"In this letter I send you our photo and hope it'll become dear for you
and will help you to be by our side for a moment, even in your dreams.
Darling Troy, I would like to send more photos for you. But unfortunately
it costs much. I don't know how to tell, it's very difficult and painful
to me but without your support it'll be very difficult to communicate with
you. If I haven't any children I couldn't ask you about this help. We'll be
very thankful to you if you help me to pay for our mailing. I'm sorry for
my plain dealing but during 2 years I live alone. We with my son during
this time see a little kindness and warmness. Around us there is so much
evil and lie, that is why I hope only on you and our relations, you are my
hope. If you'll be able to do this I'll send you a lot of our photos and
I'll write you more about us with Egor. Our correspondence is very
important for me. I think, for you too. We both hope with Egor and wish you
happy day." - Marina, October 30, 2000
Because I had already found this site and had "armed" myself with the advice contained here (or so I thought ':), this raised the first of
several "red flags" for me - other "red flags" that later came up were
illness with her father and her desire to come to America for our meeting.
I would also like to point out that I am a lay psychologist and have advanced "spiritual" training and that the combination of the two
(normally, at least ':), allows me significant insight into the character
and motives of others. Unfortunately, in this case I did not use it to
penetrate the proverbial wool over my own eyes, blinded as they were by my
overwhelming desire for love and "mutual understanding" after having spent
6 years in a disastrous marriage to a(n American) woman I was completely
incompatible with <sigh>. Anyway, believing (or wanting to believe) I saw
a genuinely honest soul, seeking the same things as I, reflected in the
rest of her correspondence upto that point (and considerably beyond it - we
exchanged approximately 50 "letters" between us), I decided to continue
corresponding with her. My initial response, however, was to inform her of
my concern over being scammed in my search for a suitable companion abroad
- "having read so many stories about it" - and that we should continue the
majority of our correspondence through regular mail, since we would also
eventually need it for my visa invitation, and that I had selected a suitable
express mail forwarding service through which her responses to me would already be paid. I also told her that I would be able to call her
regularly and we would be able to communicate that way as well (though I
have never received her phone number despite my repeated requests - another
"red flag") - also without cost to her. She replied that because she didn't know English very well those would not be very good options, until
either she learned English better (which she claimed to be studying), or I
learned Russian (which I am currently studying), since she relied on the
interpreter at the "Internet cafe" for our communication. Wanting to believe her I, naturally, succumbed and agreed to send her a small amount
so we could continue corresponding "for the time being" through e-mail.
She informed me she thought "$85 dollars would cover her expenses" but
refused to tell me for how long, though I repeatedly asked her. In addition to helping her "cover her expenses" I also sent a little extra for
gifts for her son's birthday and for herself, and shelled out to send her
flowers and chocolates to express my feelings for her during a "bad time"
in our correspondence. In all she only got about $300 out of me, though it
could have been more if my own life circumstances hadn't prevented it!
Part of those circumstances were the temporary loss of my phone and internet services. Though I immediately wrote to her, upon regaining my
services, and explained the reason for my temporary "silence", I've not
heard back from her since, despite her months of assurances of her love and
affections for me (including those in her last letter to me:
"My Sweetheart, I'm saying you 'good bye' for today. I love and miss you
very much. As always I'm waiting for your letters. I love you my Troy. I'm
kissing you my darling many many times. I'll always kiss you when we are
together. I hope you wouldn't mind." - January 22, 2001)...
I guess a temporary set-back in my finances (due to consequences of my
divorce as well as a solid career change), gave her the impression she
would not be able to get anymore money out of me ("hidden blessings"!).
The fact that she started asking for money in her second letter seems to be
a prevalent theme in the other stories found on this site. Though I continued our correspondence, despite being "alerted", I also began
monitoring her ad on Kiss.com (to try and determine if I was indeed being
scammed, of which I still can't say I am completely sure ':-/ - a good con
job on her part?), and continued reviewing other ads in case our "affair"
didn't work out. Through it all, I noticed some striking similarities
between the things she said in her letters and some of the other ads -
particularly those from the Poltava region of Ukraine, and Kremenchug especially! I don't wish to suggest that all such ads are "dangerous", as
I feel quite certain that many of them are indeed genuine, but, rather,
point out some of the similarities I feel should be approached with caution, as well as provide some additional "insights"
(er, "hind sights"
':), into possible alerting situations. First, many of them - including
"Larisa Skorenko's", who's _still_ on the site only now with the name
"Lora" (#3216475) - have the heading "I wait you!", "I wait you so long!"
or some other variation - "I so wait you!" is one of Marina's as well.
Many of the ads also contain the description:
"I am very serious person and I am not looking for a pen-pal. I need a
faithful, devoted to me man which want to become my husband and which will take care
about me. The most important things in person to me is inner life, soul and his
attitude to me but not his appearance. I am a usual woman which wants a simple
women's' happiness. The most cherished whish in my life is to have a strong lovely family, to
make happy one person which will be my husband. I can love and want to be loved. I
would like to find a man to which I can give my tenderness, endearment and care."
The preceding was taken verbatim out of Marina's first letter to me and
appears exactly the same way in many of the Poltava region ads on
Kiss.com. I also like to point out that many ads from other CIS regions/cities also appear on the site with similar constructions
particular to those ad regions (many from Kherson are obvious direct postings from
questionnaires/forms). I've little doubt that many ads on Kiss.com are placed there by the agencies (a.k.a. "Internet cafes"), with
which the girls have signed up and that's likely the predominate cause for
the similarities; still, I feel it is something to approach with caution,
especially if you've been scammed by an ad having the same characteristics. I don't think those agencies should necessarily be
faulted for making their postings this way since, actually, it's a fairly
practical way for them to get their girls on the internet without the need
for their own server space. However, be wary just the same. This brings
me to some other things to look out for. Throughout our correspondence I
noticed that Marina's profile had been updated every three or four days,
thus ensuring that her ad would be included in the "Updated in the last 3
days" search criteria on Kiss - I can certainly understand girls doing this
(which most seem to do), to increase their chances of being selected, but
not when you've supposedly "found my beloved one" already. This was especially disturbing to me since sometimes 7-10 days would pass without
hearing from her though her profile would have been updated several times
in that time frame! When questioned about it she replied simply that the
"agency forces [her] to do it". When asked why I would not hear from her
for more than a week though she was obviously at the "Internet cafe" (FYI:
I'm of the opinion that an "Internet cafe" in CIS is in reality a marriage/dating agency and nothing what a westerner equates to being an
"Internet cafe", "digital diner", "surfing bar", etc.), updating her profile, she would tell me first that she tried to respond for several
nights, waiting there until closing at 2:00am (and who's caring for her
child during this time?), but the interpreter was always too busy for her
to get her turn, and second, she would proceed to "scold" me for not trusting her:
"My Dear Troy!
Today I haven't the mood today and I don't know why. Maybe it's because of
the weather because it became more cold. And maybe it because of your
letter?.. I don't like the jealous men. And I don't like when you are not
trust to me. My Dear, what do you do on these sites? Do you look for the
women to you??? Why do I look for somebody when you have you? I communicate
with the girl from internet cafe I understood that Americans communicate
with several and then they come to several at the same time. My Dear, I come to the internet cafe a lot of girl visit and I want to
meet my Beloved. And one the the law of this agency is updating of the ad.
And I can't change it it's not my power. In the internet cafe I have the e-mail box and here I get your letters.
It's pity I can't safe them here because I don't want somebody can read
them. And I can to make the copy of this letters but it's in English. And
for me I do the notes. And for every bit I send and get and for the rent
of the Pc I have to pay. My Nice, don't be sad if I don't reply all your questions. I'll do it next
time (can be). Today I have to be in the internet cafe. There are a lot of people here
and that is why I send you the letter late today. Marina" - November 23, 2000 [Actually, the greater majority of her letters
were sent late.]
After this, though, whenever there would be a pause in her correspondence
to me she would open her next letter with an "explanation" as to why she
couldn't write and how she "worried that [she] couldn't write to [me]".
Another thing I find troublesome is how the majority of her letters to me
would be filled with poor spelling and errors in grammar though it was the
interpreter, she claimed, that would do the actual writing. Perhaps I am
wrong in this, but I would expect an interpreter to have a better grasp of
the language being interpreted. Also, isn't she able to get a "copy" of
the interpreter's translation of my letters (surely, the money I sent her
afforded her _that_ "luxury" at least!)? Does the interpreter simply read
the letter to her, forcing her to "take notes"? If so then apparently
without offering her the opportunity to take good notes (a college graduate
can certainly take "good notes" if allowed to?)... despite her assurances
to the contrary, the majority of my questions through our correspondence
would consistently remain unanswered, and all the while through her claims
of running out of things to write to me!
Well, that's my story (so far ;). I hope I've been able to add some
additional insights to those already to be found here. In closing, in
addition to alerting my fellow searchers to another scammer, the moral of
my story is if being fore-warned is truly to be fore-armed then we must be
willing to heed the warnings (note to self! ':). I was not and, though it
cost me a relatively pittance sum of money, the wasted investment in time
and emotional energy was considerable! I now continue my search, but, having learned my lesson, I do
so "truly fore-armed". On "A Foreign Affair's" romance tours they give the
advice "do not let yourself fall in love right away". Wise advice.
Good luck to all and wise searching.
Sincerely,
"Troy Pendracon"
P.S. - Attached are some of the pictures Marina sent to me: 1) her Kiss.com
profile picture; 2) her and Egor, her son; 3) hugging a tree while "wishing
it was [me]"; and 4) with a friend "V".
   
Pavlo Syrotuk (Drogobych)
Her name, that she or who ever it is uses, is
Pavlo Syrotuk. She ask for money. And knows a great deal about the local Western Union. I sent her money, in the amount of $130.00 US dollars. And have not heard from her since. Please be warned that she or who ever is behind this, is a scam artist. Below are photos of her, and some letters from her.
Dear Jeffrey.
Thank you very much for your answer. The main problem is that I live in a students hostel (as you know). And they don't allow as to use the phone and we also haven't a postbox so a postman doesn't come here. The only way I can speak with you is Internet. I want to send you letters and
receive yours very much. I ask my provider if you can help me and he said that you can send some money through the nearest Western Union service like you said (Sorry for asking you about it, it's very shame to me, all my face is
red, you even don't know me and I asking you about it). Please, Jeffrey, say
if you can help me in such way, if you can it would be very nice and I'll be able to write and write you till we meet. I think it'll happen. I can't say how much money you have to send, I can't do it simply because you are not in the shop and I'm not a shop asistent who can say a price. I feel you as my close friend, so I can't say you how much. Each letter from you and every my letter costs me about 2$USA. But my provider promised me if I pay 120$USA in one day I'll be able to use e-mail without any limits till we meet. Of course I think the second variant is the best
one, but everything depends on you. I hope that someday I can help you in something. Dear
Jeffrey, please, send money to
Pavlo Syrotuk
82100, Ukraine
Drogobych
Borislavskaya Street 8
(it's the address of the nearest Western Union here). My full name is
Pavlo Syrotuk. But if you want to send it to my provider, I can ask his account and you can send money right to him. Dear Jeffrey I can't now send a long letter, without paying a penny to my provider. Please, if you can help me, do it as soon as you can, I don't want to loose you. I'll be waiting for your answer very much. Sincerely yours.
Pavee
(Pavlo is a
male's name, and only male's. All Russian/Ukrainian female names and
surnames end on "A")
  
Pasha Samohvalov
(Kherson)
Hello, I saw this ladies picture at e700.com
and at a few other sites. We exchange 3 letters, the first two were about she was in Ukraine (previously she had said
Russia in her e700 ad) this is her letters and pictures.
1st letter
Hello Michael,
I was very happy when received your letter and can see your pics You are very pretty young man. You like me. You have beautiful eyes and nice smile. Thanks for a compliment about me
English. I am glad that has liked you I shall tell to you a little about myself. I was born on Ukraine in city Kherson. In Kherson has remained to live my lonely mother, my father has died three years back. I finished high school and
course of Graphics Design. Now it is my work and I live in Nikolaev city. I always dream to leave to live in America, i not was there never but I know what is it perfect country, to find there love and to create the good supplied family. It is my primary dream. My second dream leave this country, it is a very dangerous place. I not want that my children has lives here. As I. I hope you are
understand me. I would like to spend romantic evenings with my love. To be engaged in the house to bring up children. And you what at you of dream, than you are engaged in life that can offer to the future wife. Please tell to me it. Hope from you messages soon. Kiss you...
P.S. Sorry but I not have many pic's of me.
I don't have scanner that make them.
--
Best regards,
Pasha mailto:Lylu@ukrpost.net
(at this time she had not received my picture)
Letter 2
Hello Michael,
Hi
You want to know something more about me...
Ok..
I write English well but I speak English bad. Now I search teacher who will teach me English. I like cooking. I like watching TV I like since fiction, comedian, Films and films about love. But the most of all I like nature forest, sea. I love to travel but I have never been abroad. (I have no passport yet to travel to other countries.) I do not put make-up on every day. But I'm tray to wearing beautifully each day. My favorite color lipstick is red. By the way if you tried to walk by streets of our city, you may think that around you occur a showing the photo-models. We such here - we always tortured will be dressed beautifully, in spite of the mood and presence or absence of the money. Else you will be surprised that majority of the people is gloomy, but if somebody smile you - he(she) does not in false and him really pleasantly talk with you. I likes pets, so if you will not against, I should like to have it. My loved color is blue and red. Blue is beautiful color, this is color of the sky, this is color of ea water. This is color most of all around us. With meal I do not have possibility to choose. I likes a potatoes (fried or boiled), I likes fish, else I likes crabs and cancers. I have no brothers or sisters. My father was died 3 years ego. In my parents(ma and grandparents) I appreciate most of all kindness and their labor. I live alone in dormitory in Nikolaev and I have no my own phone. I'm student in Nikolaev pedagogical university. But my study is not interesting. Nikolaev is not big (There is no international air port there, the most closer air port only in Kiev (Capital of Ukraine) - is 500 km from Nikolaev.) I'm work in little firm. I use computer at work. (My boss doesn't like when I use computer for my own. I finished my work and I have few minutes to write and send this letters.) I have no ICQ because I can't use internet much. I work in fashion model studio but it is provincial studio maybe some times I will work in famous fashion studios. (It is my dream) I have no boyfriend. All my boyfriends hat I have want only sex from me. But relation between man and woman, love is very serious for me. The most important for my - is family and good relation between people. I want a serious relationship and for this I can to move to you, to move out from my country. It's not problem that you older than me. I begin to like you much, I hope that after time we will meet and we will be happy together. Your letter raise my mood. miss you.
--
Best regards,
Pasha mailto:Lylu@ukrpost.net
Finally the scam letter
Hi dear.
Sorry that I did not answer so long. There is big grief there. A car hit my mum and now hi is in the hospital in the critical condition. I do not know what do. The Doctor give me a list that my needed to buy and said that all this needed to buy immediately. Hospitals in out country poor and there is nothing there, no even bandages and beds linen. The Doctor has said that he helps all than can, but he can not to buy it itself. If I does not buy all that he said in time, he said that ma die, I not know that I then shall do, my ma the most best person in my lifes. I in such mad condition that I seem that this dream. This can not be. My mum can die on my eyes. I already have spent all money which I had for this. Sold and pawned all that have been able. And we needed near 200US$ more and we do not know from where we can have it. I understand that we with you practically do not know each other. We far away from each other in different countries, but I ask you to help me. In the bank I have known that Western Union
as fast way to send money. You will be needed my address
Pasha Samohvalov
Lenin str. 77
Kherson
Ukraine
I will be only need to give Money Transfer Control Number them. Sorry that I put you in my own problems but there is no anybody from who I can ask help. But I needed money immediately. I not even can promise that I will be able to return you a money back. Sorry If I has written something not in right order, my condition in very terrible. Your Pasha. Love
With love ,
Your Pasha mailto:Lylu@ukrpost.net
What I did was tell her about my Russian and Ukrainian friends of which two are doctors and to get the phone number of the hospital and the name of the doctor, she never responded to this. My friends in Ukraine live near the city her mom does and do not think she is real.
Pasha is a males name (short form of Pavel, or Pavlo). I am
lucky to have friends in Ukraine and Russia, that are looking out for me. I just hope American men realize that even though
there are scammers there are also real women out there too. I have found a real one, but was introduced when I visited some of my friends. Know I am helping some of my Colorado friends and what to avoid. Your site is very useful.
Michael
Here are "her" pictures.
 
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