Men Often Find Themselves Visiting The Love Of Their Life Only To Find That These Are Not Only Romance Scams, But They Could Go To Prison Over It In A Foreign Country!

Eastern European Romance Scams Are Different

These romance scams and scammers are cunning and manipulative individuals who prey on vulnerable individuals seeking love and companionship online.

What makes them different is that they encourage the male victims to come and visit the women they have developed a relationship with. Sometimes the women will use fake identities and sometimes their real names, but in all cases, the women are working for a criminal cartel that will exploit and extort the victims after they arrive.

Keep in mind that this applies to not just Eastern Europe romance scams, but this style or approach is now being used in Latin America, Southeast Asia, and even in Africa!

How Eastern Romance Scams Work

Eastern European romance scams and their criminals are part of a global network of fraudsters who take advantage of modern technology and the emotional vulnerabilities of individuals seeking love and companionship online. They are skilled at creating fake personas, using stolen photographs and false personal information to appear as attractive and genuine partners.

The women typically create real or fake profiles on dating websites and social media platforms, portraying themselves as attractive and desirable partners. Once they establish a connection with their victims, they employ various tactics to exploit them emotionally and financially. Though they may ask for small amounts of money while the scam relationship is ongoing, the big payout will be after the victims arrive in the country where the woman is located.

A distinction from regular romance scams is the technique used by these scammers of inviting their victims to visit them in Eastern European countries. The prospect of meeting face-to-face can be exciting and enticing for the victim, who has already invested emotionally in the relationship. This aspect of meeting face-to-face is a method of convincing the victim that these relationships are completely real.

The Relationship/Romance Scams

These scammers often follow a well-rehearsed script to build trust and emotional connections with their victims. They engage in long conversations, showering their targets with compliments, affectionate messages, and promises of a future together. By establishing an intimate bond, they create a strong emotional investment in the relationship, making it harder for the victim to question their intentions.

Once they believe the emotional connection is strong enough, the scammers invite their victims to visit them in their home country. They might claim that meeting in person will solidify their love or that they want to start a life together. The prospect of finally meeting their online partner face-to-face is thrilling for the victim, who may eagerly agree to the invitation, sometimes at considerable personal and financial expense.

The Trap

The meeting is a trap. When the victim arrives in the country, the scammer may orchestrate a situation where the victim is vulnerable and isolated, making it easier to carry out their extortion scheme. By the very nature of foreign travel, the victim is isolated and dependent on the female scammer for where to stay, where to eat, and every aspect of their time in that country.

The trap is sprung in a couple of different ways.

1. With some, the woman will engage with the victim to close the deal so to speak. Meaning that they will engage in intimate behaviors with the victim with the goal of firmly trapping them emotionally. Then as the trip reaches its end, the criminals behind the scene will step out of the darkness and threaten the victim and the women with violence unless the victim pays up! They keep the secret that the woman is part of their crew so the victim never suspects, and is very likely to pay whatever the criminals ask for.
2. The other common method is the invite the victim to the country, and get them set up in their hotel (which is usually owned or controlled by the criminal cartel). The victim will meet the woman and eventually go to the victim’s room for intimacy. At this point, it can go one of two ways. Either the woman will have sex with the victim and then threaten to claim sexual assault afterward or get the victim to tear the woman’s closes and then threaten to claim sexual assault. In these cases, the criminal will either use the real police they control or impersonate local police and storm into the room solidifying the threat of arrest or imprisonment, unless the victim pays.

The key element in these schemes is the threats of false accusations, such as claiming sexual assault. They may even stage an elaborate setup, involving accomplices who act as witnesses to the alleged assault. Frightened and traumatized, the victim will feel trapped and desperate to avoid legal consequences or public humiliation.

Seizing on the victim’s fear and desperation, the scammer then reveals their true motive: extortion. They threaten to report the false allegations to the authorities or expose the victim’s involvement in the fabricated incident to their family, friends, or colleagues. The only way out, the victim is told, is to pay a significant sum of money to keep the situation quiet and prevent any further harm.

These extortion schemes are very emotionally devastating for victims, leaving them feeling violated, humiliated, and manipulated. Moreover, as the scammer operates from a foreign country, pursuing legal action can be extremely challenging, further adding to the victim’s distress. After all, it comes down to a he-said-she-said situation where even if the victim goes to the police or their consulate, they may not be believed and will be arrested for real.

In such emotionally charged and distressing circumstances, victims find themselves cornered with limited options. Paying the extortion demands becomes a desperate attempt to protect themselves.

Reporting These Crimes

Unfortunately, pursuing legal action against these scammers can be incredibly challenging due to the international nature of the crime, plus of the risk to the victim. In these cases, it is not difficult to identify the criminals, but it comes at significant risk – not only because the woman can make false allegations, but these criminal networks can be very violent and are equipped to carry out their threats.

It is recommended that the victim down not report the crime until they return home. Reporting the crime to their local and national police so that they know individuals can be added to watch lists if they cross borders.

It is also important to try to cut off any credit card or bank withdrawals immediately upon return, as the criminals may have kept credit and debit cards to drain a victim’s accounts.

How To Protect Yourself From These Eastern European Style Romance Scams

To protect themselves from such scams, individuals should exercise caution when engaging in online relationships, especially with people from distant locations.

Obviously, be wary of red flags, such as requests for money, inconsistent stories, and overly aggressive or demanding behavior, is essential. It’s crucial to verify the authenticity of individuals before committing to any significant financial or emotional involvement. If anyone suspects they are being targeted by a romance scammer, they should cease communication immediately and report the incident to law enforcement authorities or relevant anti-fraud agencies.

To avoid falling victim to such romance scams, individuals should be cautious when forming relationships online. They should be skeptical of individuals who rush into emotional intimacy too quickly, especially if they ask for money or favors. It is essential to verify the authenticity of the person by conducting reverse image searches and researching their background before making any travel plans or significant financial commitments.

In addition, staying informed about common online scams, maintaining privacy settings on social media platforms, and being vigilant for suspicious behavior can help individuals protect themselves from falling prey to Eastern European romance scammers or any other form of online fraud. If anyone suspects they are being targeted by a scammer, they should immediately cease communication and report the incident to relevant authorities or anti-fraud organizations.

Summary

If you are ever contemplating going to meet someone that you online know online, you have to be smart about the choices you make in your travel plans, Select a neutral hotel and not what they recommend. If you invite someone into your room record everything on your phone for your record and safety – send a copy to your email for a backup.

Immediately on arrival notify your consulate of your travel in the country and where you are staying, just in case you need their help later on.

Just know that you run a very high risk if you travel to the women’s home country – you are on your own and at the mercy of whatever happens. Perhaps consider a neutral third location for the meet-up!

Resources:

• SCARS free support & recovery groups for scam victims – safe and confidential support: Sign up at support.AgainstScams.org
• To find a professional trauma counselor or therapist visit counseling.AgainstScams.org
• To report these crimes visit reporting.AgainstScams.org

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• Russian Bride Scam Groom Tells! Stand Up & Speak Up with Debby Montgomery Johnson and Dr. Jonathan Farley (romancescamsnow.com)
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• Romance Scams Notice From The U.S Embassy In Moscow Russia (romancescamsnow.com)
• Russian Honey Pot Scams In The Ukraine Conflict (romancescamsnow.com)

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