Yoshkar-Ola. Scam City?

[55North]

This, in a British newspaper today.....
 
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/femail/article.html?in_article_id=542276&in_page_id=1879

[Serebro]

Demand gives rise to the offer

[55North]

Caveat emptor

[55North]

Just by googling the city name, it seems to have no economic basis other than 'introduction' and 'scamming' (with no disrespect to readers' wives).  'A city that time forgot'?

[Nando]

Wel in the beggining of this process I received countless e-mails from Yoshkar-Ola.
Just trace the IP adress and that's it.
It would be interesting to know why so much activity in this particular city.

[Catman]

A month ago I recieved an e-mail from a girl in Kharkov from Ukrainedate. Traced the IP address and found it to come from Yoshkar-Ola. Googled this city and it said the only thing in this city is a university and students there are always scamming. Recieved another e-mail from Ukrainedate from a girl in Odessa. IP address showed this e-mail to come from Lugansk.

[Shadow]

One of the big scam rings is/was led from the university campus of Yoshkar-Ola. Through this they managed to replace Lugansk as main scammer city. There is a distinct difference in having a scam operation in place and the women who happen to live there being scammers.
There for women from this area now have a disadvantage, and odds are it will be easier to find a good woman using a reputable source.

[55North]

If anyone wants a link to a reputable agency in Yoshkar-Ola, let me know.  Otherwise, the moral of the story is dump Ukrainedate.

[one_guey]

i just got a response from a girl who claims to be FROM there.  If it is a scam city, why would she claim to be from there?

Maybe Shadow's post makes sense...

[groovlstk]

i just got a response from a girl who claims to be FROM there.  If it is a scam city, why would she claim to be from there?

Maybe Shadow's post makes sense...

Maybe because she doesn't want to travel to another city to receive Western Union transfers?

Kidding aside, I agree it's silly to out-and-out dismiss a girl simply because of her city...

[russianfront]

Would you guys trust anyone from Yoshkar Ola?
I am corresponding (just started) with a girl from the city who I met through www.cuteonly.com
I traced the IP and it says it was from Moscow?
See this:
Source:
The source host name is "smtp16.yandex.ru" and the source IP address is 77.88.61.56.
Geo-Location Information
Country  Russian Federation
State/Region  48
City  Moscow
Postal Code   
Latitude  55.7522
Longitude  37.6156
Area Code   

Is it possible that the mail routed through Moscow and the actual sending address is not showing up?
Or is an IP trace as good as gold?
I used this site: http://whatismyipaddress.com/staticpages/index.php/trace-email-source-IP-address

Also in her letters the English is quite bad. Do the "scammers" I read about in the city use good English?

Help me guys! I need your opinions!

[ECOCKS]

Hmmm, you might trace a couple of other yandex users and see where they come from. It strikes me as very possible that the yandex system originates member emails from centralized server sources rather than the sender's actual location. This would be especially true for smaller cities and towns.

Good luck.

[GoodOlBoy]

Hi Russianfront.

Simple, just ask for her telephone number and call her!

Use a calling card like Nobel (or any other cheap calling card).

http://secure01.enjoyprepaid.com/enjoyprepaid/jsp/account/login.jsp

Russian women love to talk and I also found most of them to be very curious about AM.

Good Luck and report back! 

GOB

[russianfront]

Now I am paranoid about all women!
It seems that if I google the email adresses of the ladies that I am corresponding with all are coming up on a german anti-scam website as "black-listed" with no other info. They are just on the no-no list. I don't know what to make of this.
2 of the girls that I have started speaking with I have seen their letters posted on the german anti-scam website.
One of the emails is from a lady named Ira from Ukraine (IP trace is reasonably close to where she lives in South central Ukraine)

When I google her email address I get her name showing up on this German anti-scammer "black-list" as mentioned above. The link to the page is below. That email adress is on the list. I saw it for myself.
http://anti-scam.de/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1223226697/2

There is no reason why any of these addresses are on the list they are just there.

Help me guys. I have expereince in this. I was married to a girl from Ukraine for 9 years and have been there 3 times. But I did not meet her through an agency and now that I am looking there again I am thinking that it is impossible to tell the scammers from the honest ones...

I am going to have to put some thought into how to look into all of this. Scam-fighting is new to me and I know its a byproduct of looking over there. Just kinda sucks not to be able to trust people!

[Wraith]

Now I am paranoid about all women!
It seems that if I google the email adresses of the ladies that I am corresponding with all are coming up on a german anti-scam website as "black-listed" with no other info. They are just on the no-no list. I don't know what to make of this.
2 of the girls that I have started speaking with I have seen their letters posted on the german anti-scam website.
One of the emails is from a lady named Ira from Ukraine (IP trace is reasonably close to where she lives in South central Ukraine)

When I google her email address I get her name showing up on this German anti-scammer "black-list" as mentioned above. The link to the page is below. That email adress is on the list. I saw it for myself.
http://anti-scam.de/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1223226697/2

There is no reason why any of these addresses are on the list they are just there.

Help me guys. I have expereince in this. I was married to a girl from Ukraine for 9 years and have been there 3 times. But I did not meet her through an agency and now that I am looking there again I am thinking that it is impossible to tell the scammers from the honest ones...

I am going to have to put some thought into how to look into all of this. Scam-fighting is new to me and I know its a byproduct of looking over there. Just kinda sucks not to be able to trust people!

Generally, if you are seeing their letters posted on an anti-scam site you might want to research the actual letters more than the email addresses to verify their circulation. This is not to say neglect to look into the email addresses either. Form letters are used by many a scammer and they are very easy to research as most use standardized formats which I guess you can coin as "Industry Standard"(chuckle). Now, if you happen to have full names of the women you are corresponding with this also will help you in tracking down whether he/she is a scammer. For all intents though go with your gut instinct. You have already walked the walk and have had a previous marriage with a FSUW and this shouldn't be super difficult. You just hafta put in the leg work...ask questions in your responses and see if those questions are answered and pay particular attention to how they are answered in the body of the correspondence received. I am very new to this game of actively searching abroad for a lady but I have lurked about for some time and learned a few tidbits of what to look for here and there though it is all subject to what you want to dismiss and take to heart as truth. 

[Sculpto]

hate to say it since the advertise here but my experience with cuteonly was pretty rotten.

never got responses from 99% of the ladies I wrote.. they never even opened the mail.  Most of the ladies that wrote me sent their personal email addresses in the first intro.. the few I wrote to all turned out to be scammers.  Finally I stopped replying and removed my profile.

I think the site does its best to keep the scammers off, but, there are too many and they can't keep up.  waste of money and time.

there are some western guys in cheboksary that will check out any women writing from that town.  they don't do it for money.  But I think chasing a woman from the Mari El Republic is a real long shot.  Why even try when there are so many other easier places to reach with a lot lower risk?

[Shadow]

First of all about the IP addresses in the FSU.

You should understand that while internet is immensely popular and growing constantly, the development in the providers is much like it was in the 90's in the West.
That means that some providers will offer good conditions, but use servers that are far from the location of the woman.
The IP address gives the location of the server she connects to, not the home location of the person connecting.

Thus an IP in Moscow from a person in Yoshkar-Ola is possible, although with current developments already not likely.

Next about scam lists. While caution is needed, ther are many reasons why an e-mail address can end up on a scam list, including 'revenge' from guys that were turned down. If there is no clarity about the report, proceed with caution. Perhaps the Scam-Card might give some clue.

Finally, Yandex webmail is located in Moscow, so a Moscow server for Yandex is not a surprise. However you might have checked the wrong IP, not the X-originating but a intermittent one. On the other hand, before getting the money request usually the 'girl' travels to Moscow for the visa, so she might just be there already.  

[russianfront]

So I caught a scammer red handed and she is from Yoshkar Ola. I "met" her on cuteonly and her name is Maria. She is apparently 25 years old. Here's what I know so far:

1) The pics posted and emailed to me are 3-4 years old (in the exif data). I was just sent a picture today that was taken in May 2005. Who would do that but a scammer. Hell all the photos I send of myself are at most 3-4 months old!

2) Her email is on that german anti-scam website listed above as are a series of corresponsance to a german man named gerd. Letter after letter the words are exactly the same and also its the same sequence.

Here's what I am talking about:
TO GERD:
Titel: Re: Maria <mashylkalove@yandex.ru>
Beitrag von Razor Buzz am 09. März 2009 um 20:56
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Post ist da   

Hello Gerd!!! I with impatience waited when the working day will end
to receive your letter.
I am a lonely woman and when I receive your letter, I feel, that I Not
so lonely. I read your letters many times. I am very happy, that I
correspond with such remarkable person as you. It is good,
that you do not stop our dialogue. I think, that we shall study each other more.
I have the big interest to learn about you more and it can even will
better for us. Today I to you shall tell about the settlement:
It is located far from Moscow, near to the city of Yoshkar Ola approximately
50 km From it. In my settlement Kilemary there lives nearby 1500
person, and to it of 120 years. My settlement very beautiful,
I there was born and have lead all childhood. It will be very interesting to
me if you will tell about the city more in detail Gerd?
And here my small message on my city. I hope to you boring my letter
you will not seem and will write further to me? I shall try to answer
all your questions. If I shall not answer your question,
mean I could not to understand it, do not take offence at me and write it once
again. I think, that you understand, that the overall objective in my
life is to find that only thing, my second part me with which I can go
through all difficulties of a life. Together to meet pleasure,
occurrence of children, to grow up them,
to surround with care, to present them the happy childhood, I so to
dream of it!!! I think, that you understand me and your vital purposes
are similar to mine. On it I wish to finish the letter and with
greater impatience I shall wait for your answer.
With love, Maria.

TO ME TODAY:
hello Scott!!! I with impatience waited when the working day will end
> to receive your letter.
> I am a lonely woman and when i receive your letter, i feel, that i not so
> lonely.
> I read your letters many times. I am very happy, that i
> correspond with such remarkable person as you. It is good, that you do
> not stop our dialogue. I think, that we shall study each other more.
> I have the big interest to learn about you more and it can even will
> better for us. Today i to you shall tell about the settlement:
> it is located far from moscow, near to the city of yoshkar ola
> approximately
> 50 km from it. In my settlement Kilemary there lives nearby 1500
> person, and to it of 120 years.
> My settlement very beautiful, i am was born and have lead all childhood.
> It will be very interesting to me if you will tell about
> the city more in detail Scott? And here my small message on my city.
> I hope to you boring my letter you will not seem and will write further to
> me?
> I am shall try to answer all your questions. If i am shall
> not answer your question, mean i could not to understand it, do not
> take offence at me and write it once again.
> I think, that you understand, that the overall objective in my life is
> to find that only thing, my second part me with which i can go through
> all difficulties of a life. Together to meet pleasure, occurrence of
> children,
> to grow up them, to surround with care, to present them the
> happy childhood, i so to dream of it!!! I think, that you understand
> me and your vital purposes are similar to mine. On it i wish to finish
> the letter and with greater impatience i am shall wait for your answer.
> With love, Maria.

This was her 3rd or 4th letter to me and again all the previous letters were identical to those sent to Gerd.

So just to mess with her I just sent her the following reply and I did 3 things to throw her off..eye colour, hair colour and her city. All 3 I intentionally switched just to see if I could get a rise out of her. So here is what I wrote:

Hello dear Maria,
Every day I feel like I love you more and more. I want to touch you to look into your beautiful brown eyes (they are green in the photos) and run my hands through your gorgeous blond hair (she has brown hair). I want we will stay in the best hotel in your city when I come to visit you. There we will spend all night making love and understanding all about us and our deep love. When can I come to see you in Kiev? (shes from Yoshkar Ola) I was thinking I could come there in a few weeks since I have vacation in the month of May. I'd like to be with you for a few weeks then if we love each other I can meet your parents and start to arrange our marriage. It will be wonderful when we raise our 2 children together!!!!! I can't wait and am so happy that I have found someone who really loves me!! This is the best day of my life...until we make love for the first time then that will be the best day!!!
Write me back and tell me where | can send you some money I want to use Western Union to send you money for new clothes...sexy clothes and once you have them please send me photos of you in these clothes and of course if you would like without the clothes....   :-)
I kiss you and love you.
Your Canadian boyfriend (AND FUTURE HUSBAND!!!)
Scott

I'll keep you all posted to see what happens. This is now FUN!

And I sent an email to cuteonly to let them know about this scammer and asked that she be removed.

[Vaughn]

This is now FUN!

Why bother? There are plenty of real and available women in Yoshkar Ola, but I doubt any would be
seriously interested in such games as you're about to play...

My wife hails from there, but I won't get defensive. The place has a reputation, no doubt, caused
largely by some well-publicized cases of Mari-El State students taking full advantage of gullible WM.
There are at least three reputable agencies there, all with track records that are proven - yet guys
continue to find the ladies on these sites that cover a vast expanse of the FSU.... incredible, but
sadly predictable.

Yoshkar Ola's postal index is 424000 through 424040 - anything else is somewhere else...
Telephone city code is 8362. If it's different, you're not calling there.
Street names and addresses are largely verifiable. Practically every woman and man under
65 carries a cellphone. There are photos viewable online of many addresses to include
residential complexes. As mentioned earlier there are three agencies there that are dependable.

Maksim Introductions
Sweethearts  (contact Natalia)
AYOBride  (contact Larisa Zhukova)

I've met with all three owners, and am close friends with two of them. Each has a listed and
verifiable business address with landline phones, and welcome visitors. All have noted a roughly
10% rate of actual visits by keyboard Romeos.

In a city of a quarter million with a bounty of beautiful single and divorced women, it IS possible
to meet many serious and cultured ladies - if you're willing to forgo the usual T&A sites whose
owners likely have never ventured into the area. If I can assist anyone writing to a YO lady in
confirming an address or place of employment, PM me...

Vaughn

[Faux Pas]

Ruaainafront

If you are looking to "have fun" and entertain yourself self then, go ahead and send the letter. You must have plenty of time on your hands? Get this, she's not real, those are likely not even her pictures. The girl in the pictures most likely hasn't ever heard of you nor wrote you any letters. You are one of hundreds currently on this scammers list. The scammer is likely some hairy azzed dude that doesn't read your letters.

There is no revenge. You can't p!ss them off.

If you are indeed in starting a relationship with an FSUW this is NOT the way to go about it. You'll only get more bitter and hateful the more you toy with scammers. The joke is on you and if you continue in this way, the joke will continue to be on you.

Move on.

[Sculpto]

There is no revenge. You can't p!ss them off.

Not only that but they can and will add your name to a scammers list which will result in yoru email box filling up with scam offers from every corner of the globe.  They will also send you virus, trojans and other types of malware.  You are not smarter than they are. 

I wonder if there will be a surge in scam attempts due to the economic crisis?

[russianfront]

you guys I know she is not real but whats the problem with toying with the scammer a little? After all they are not going to know that they are getting their leg pulled - they will likely think that that have #1 sucker in the world on the hook. I won't reply to the scammer anymore but I am interested to see what kind of reply I get back. Probably I will just get #4 which is the 4 letters closer to asking for money.

[Vaughn]

Hey Russianfront, why are you writing to anybody when your stats say you're
married? Or am I mistaken?

Regardless - I don't want to encourage anybody to play around replying to scammers.
I've seen guys get so involved with it and they evolve into crusaders - which in itself
is a total waste of good time. Have you got her supposed Y-O mailing address? If so,
PM it to me - I'll try to pull up a photo of her place for you. Last time I tried it the gal
lived at what was a newspaper kiosk, LOL. 

[Sculpto]

you guys I know she is not real but whats the problem with toying with the scammer a little? After all they are not going to know that they are getting their leg pulled - they will likely think that that have #1 sucker in the world on the hook. I won't reply to the scammer anymore but I am interested to see what kind of reply I get back. Probably I will just get #4 which is the 4 letters closer to asking for money.

Do what you wish but you are just wasting your time and having little or no impact on the scammers activities.  And, if you do manage to piss them off they will take revenge on you and you will regret it.

[Faux Pas]

you guys I know she is not real but whats the problem with toying with the scammer a little? After all they are not going to know that they are getting their leg pulled - they will likely think that that have #1 sucker in the world on the hook. I won't reply to the scammer anymore but I am interested to see what kind of reply I get back. Probably I will just get #4 which is the 4 letters closer to asking for money.

It's different strokes for different folks. Most members here fit into several different categories. Men who are searching, men who have found or women who have found. We are all here to help each other (most not all). But most of us have all encountered scammers at one point or another. A scammer is what turned my head and pointed into the direction of the east. Most everyone, myself included will gladly and cheerfully attempt to help anyone who may be getting scammed but, toying with scammers isn't on any priority list for most people here. The reason is, most know what a waste of time it actually is.

RF, if you are interested in pursuing a relationship with an FSUW you are indeed in the right place. If you persist in this goal of scamming the scammer, you are wasting valuable personal time (your own mainly) and bandwidth.