China Romance
General Discussion and Useful Links => Ask An Experienced Member => Topic started by: tjwhiteinny on November 05, 2010, 05:00:38 pm
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I've been around the chnlove.com site for about 18 months. Just playing at first ... but then I think I started to understand what works. For me.
In late September, I was amazed by a woman from Wuhan's first letter. She was stating that she had a long term US visa & would visit me soon. I'd never seen that (and I think I counted over 200 letters in my file at one time ... so I've had some data points). I thought this was great. Workwise & new situation-wise (recently divorced with two teens), I did not think I was getting to China for at least 6 months or so. Some lady with great pictures wants to visit me in NY? Great. Sure, I'll be a gentleman & show her around.
About 10 letters each go back & forth. (*always I'm thinking that these credits can ring up to bigger dollars) She started (6 letters in) saying that she was going to make my birthday (which was last week). Well ... it didn't happen. BUT ... her last letter said that she had gotten sick en route. She is in Salt Lake City with a friend; recuperating.
OK ... all kind of interesting. Then the curve was thrown to me ... and I am not a good curveball hitter. She asked me to book & pay for her flight to me in NY. OK ... that's not good. The internet (American sites) are full of chat girls looking for victims: the first few weeks lead to a request for a plane ticket or money for that.
My solution: Promised her a Free ticket on Southwest that I earned ... if she got to NYC. Still, I'm suspicious.
We'll see. And we'll report back to you all.
Tim
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Rule #1...never send money
Rule #2...never send money
If you are confused by rule #1, see rule #2.
Honestly, if you ask me, sounds like some sort of scam. But maybe the other guys have a different take.
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Run Forest..Run !!!
We all know how difficult it is for un-attached women to get visas for anywhere...most likely its a scam.....
If you dont send money, you cant get scammed !!!!
Offer to re-inburse some/all of her travel expenses after you have met in person...if she is real, she will be OK with that, if she aint, she will push for money (or a ticket she can cash in)
Even though you have a free ticket to play with, dont do it...dont give ANYTHING to a potential scammer.
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Is thiere a way for you to Check the ladies I.P. Adress.Or you can do like David E said tell her to buy the ticket.And you will pay her back when you to meet in New York.If she doesn't agree to this.Report her to Chnlove.Tell Chnlove this lady is asking you for money.I think this is a scam.
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Or better yet;
Don't do it!
Actually David E's idea is the most reasonable. But even with that be careful.
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Tim, Stand back a second and look at it.
#1 she had a long term US visa, First crack of shit.
#2 if she got ill on the way they don't drop her off at a friends house. If she emailed you check the IP.
Never send money. Tell her when she comes you'll reimburse her. Bet she still won't show.
Where in NY are you from?
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I don't know how long term a long term visa is, but my friend Yang just received a one year tourist visa for the USA, so it's not completely impossible. Mind you, she's in Canada on a working visa so maybe that makes it easier. I don't know.
That said, why would she ask you to buy a ticket? It's a big red flag. Good luck though.
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Tim,
What about you going to Utah to see her instead.
Dave C
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OK All of these guys are correct. She is in Utah. If you want to give it ay kind of a try. At least get her to give you her phone number in Utah.
You most likely won't even hear back from her. If she is lying to you, lie back. After you find the name of the city in Utah. Tell her you have a Friend there, and could bring her the ticket for you. And naturally you friend can be trusted, he is a deputy of the local sherriffs office. Or even immigration if you want to watch her run real fast.
Ask for a picture of the visa, or a picture of her in Utah. Or if she knows the ticket would have no cash value, See what reason she will make to have you buy one that does.
Sounds like you are getting scammed it will piss you off, but for the price of some email have some fun wth it And if she does come up with all of this stuff. Well I would be lost for words.
She claims to be in the US on visa.
What kinda of person would go to a foriegn country and not have money to buy a plane ticket.
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What kinda of person would go to a foriegn country and not have money to buy a plane ticket.
I cannot imagine ???
Zing!
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Or better yet;
Don't do it!
Shaun...I'm not quite sure what you are trying to say here...could you be a bit more precise please (hahahahahahaha) !!!!
David
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I never heard of this before :o I just know my own luck.....if this was me ....she would be the first Chinese Mormon wanting to know......." if I have heard the good news?" ;D
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Interesting - perhaps this is a case of an advanced fee fraud on chnlove? I've not heard of that on chnlove before, but it's incredibly common on other dating sites.
Some chnlove ladies do work overseas, I talked a bit with a translator who lived in Spain. Actually come to think of it I didn't see any photos of her so perhaps she wasn't real.
There was an article in the Sunday Times a few weeks ago about how British men and women have lost money to people who didn't even exist - one woman lost £70,000 to a handsome American guy who turned out to be a scammer from Ghana :(.
Always see your Chinese lady on webcam so you know she's real 8). The latest fraudsters steal photos from Facebook and Flickr, so their photo albums can be quite convincing.
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I love the Chinese Mormon angle. That's a spon on proselytizing.
Her NEXT letter confirmed ALL of our suspicions. (I said NO to a ticket or sending cash ... but offered a free Southwest ticket I have back to Utah IF she got to NY).
So ... some thoughts & lessons:
`1. I do think you will see this more often from this site. Firstly, there are now large groups of women doing business with US customers/suppliers with the real world potential for traveling that you've never seen before. So ... you might see some of the 10,000 women on chnlove.com traveling to North America (I know Canada immigration well ... work visas' are easy IF you are in one 38 categories for Canada; have MONEY (you can buy your way into citizenship in Canada ... I knew a family of 5 who paid a $500k+ "investment" to get residency in Quebec; and Canada is far easier to get in on a student visa);
2. The arc of these letters led to an obvious conclusion that this was Fraud. I think, chnlove.com, has a AGENCY that had to be complicit in this. Translator & Agency office had to know this path. My question, when I confront this site, is what will they do.
I'll keep all of you informed.
EPILOGUE: Something happened back in China that she had to rush back from Utah to take care of. OK ...
Tim
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Sad to see that it turned out as a scam, as unfortunately it always looked like !!
Maybe you would consider 2 things:
1) Tell us the name of the CHNLove Agency involved, because they, or one of their employees was obviously involved in this attempt to scam you.
It may help some other Guy to be wary and careful with this Agency.
2) Write a very strong letter to CHNLove with these facts and see what they are going to do.
Either way, it is an important and sobering message for any other unfortunate Men who are faced with such a situation.
If you dont send money, you cant get scammed.
David
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I will let the cat out of the bag...so to speak ;)
On my latest trip to China I brought 3 hardcover books for my good friend Guang Han - for you inquisitive types - one book was The Histories by Herodotus. You see my good friend loves ancient Greek History. And he has told me that even in China, Chnlove.com is falling out of favour with the ladies there as a reputable source. From my wife's introduction, I have meet two of her friends that speak very good English. One is 24 years old gorgeous and the other 32 years old and also a looker. The 32 year old actually works as a translator for English speaking business men. But when the two joined the agency, they were told that they should claim that they are learning English. The 32 year old was miffed when I said that most of us men are told to associate with English speaking ability girls inorder to get off the agency EMF's
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I wudda asked for a photo of her from SLC, AND her boarding pass
End of story, she can't produce it, Hasta la Vista baby !
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We have offered many words on what a guy should do in these circumstances. From re-imbursing her the money - (will she trust you anymore than the lack of trust you have in her?) To travelling many hundreds of miles to see if she is real.
Many words have been written but there are just three words from Shaun that says it all - Don't Do It. Dont even think of doing it.
So lets not give advice on what a person could or maybe could do just tell them 'Dont Do It'.
Don't forget the scammers are not all living in China. They could be in the country where you live!
Willy