Men seek Russian women after growing tired of their local options. Doing so online has become a thriving industry that has resulted in many successful matches but like all things, there are Russian women scam sites looking to take advantage of men wanting an Eastern European mate by using the women as bait. Here’s how to identify a scam.

This is a huge red flag. Of course corresponding with women from Russia means that you don’t get to have direct contact with them very often but after a few months of courting, the two of you should be at least making plans to see each other. If a woman hasn’t even mentioned you flying out to visit her, you may have fallen victim to a scam.

Legitimate sites focused on meeting Russian women are either free or charge a monthly membership fee, not a fee per letter or per minute. Of course, Russian dating sites and marriage agencies have to turn a profit to stay in business but paying per interaction has fraud written all over it. They are only designed to get as much money as they can but to add insult to injury, you may not even be talking to a woman.

This is another huge indicator of a Russian women scam. No one you are talking to online should request money. If the two of you want to meet, it is highly recommended that you take the trip rather than send money to cover her travel expenses. This scam, when successful, is quite brazen. The man sends money, difficulties arise that delay the trip like a theft or illness, and this continues to happen until the guy realizes that he’s being scammed. The worst part is, there is nothing you can do about it.