Opinion

Read This Chapter From Dating Expert’s New Book About Pay-Per-Letter Scams

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This is an excerpt from Elena Petrova’s book “STOP Wasting Money When Dating Russian and Ukrainian Women.”

Chapter 2. Paying Per Message Leads to Abyss

The number of communication platforms today allows you to instantly connect with anyone, anywhere – with instant free translations between languages. Even Skype and Facebook introduced instantaneous on- site translations in the browser.

But for some reason, with all the massive body of evidence that “paid chat” sites are riddled with exploitation and “bait and switch” scams, there are still gullible guys who rely on pay-per-communication dating schemes.

Paid chat or pay-per-letter dating sites that request money for communication (“pay as you go”) are famous for dozens of chat requests from young gorgeous women, arriving the second you login – who haven’t even seen your picture or know how old you are.

Did you think it’s for real?

If you did, then get ready for the big reveal.

Did the idea that all these “women” are just a plot to make you pay for chats/letters ever crossed your mind?

If not, try to force yourself and explore it now:

What if all these requests were fake, just to make you pay under the guise of some improbable “dream relationships”?

The typical PPL “bait and switch” scam works like this:

    • You register on a PPL dating site offering photos of Russian/Ukrainian women.
    • You are receiving dozens of messages and chat requests from pretty women, all of whom are eager to communicate. The ages will be quite diverse, women who are 30-40 years younger than you will be contacting you and seeing no problem in your age difference.
    • You are required to pay for each chat, message, photo share, etc.
    • You are not allowed to exchange direct contact information.
    • If you give the woman your email address or Skype, she may write to you through this channel only to request to switch back to the PPL site, because it’s “more convenient” or “safer” for her.
    • They try to prolong your correspondence for as long as possible. You are paying for each message.
    • If you decide to visit, the “woman” you have been talking to for so long most likely won’t be there: The agency will inform you that she is on vacation, visiting a sick relative, or on a business trip.
    • In a rare case that she is there and you can meet her, you may realize pretty quickly she knows nothing about you, and she apparently didn’t write all the loving messages that you paid for.
    • Who writes messages in fake communication schemes? Substitutes who are hired to communicate with foreigners.
    • Whose photos are used? There are hundreds of ads in Ukrainian newspapers, where any woman who is officially not married is offered to have a photo session, for which she will be paid a small amount of money. Women are offered an option to receive passive income from men’s payments for communication, or do their own typing and get a higher payout. Usually pretty young girls have no desire to type their nights through, promising love to older foreigners, and this job is done by substitutes – older women or even men.
  • Are 100% of women on PPL sites involved in “bait and switch” concoctions of models and substitutes? No, but if you manage to establish an actual relationship without being taken advantage of, you will be a hero deserving a monument. It will also cost you thousands. There are certainly better ways of meeting sincere Russian and Ukrainian women, namely, sites where you can share your direct email address, Skype, mobile phone number, and where you are not required to pay for each letter/message.
elena

Bottom line: I do not recommend “pay per letter” or “paid chat” (PPL) dating sites, unless you are one of these people who have never intended to make their relationships real, and are happy to be entertained, just like users of 1900-phone sex lines.

If you would be perfectly satisfied to find out that you were paying for talking with a substitute (for example, chatting to a young Ukrainian male posing as a pretty girl), then this method of dating may be just the thing for you.

Otherwise, the only way to ensure your communication is authentic is to refuse to pay for each message.

Some Russian/Ukrainian dating sites only work in PPL (pay per letter/paid chat) mode.

Others work in a membership mode, and allow free exchange of email addresses and contact information.

Genuine women who seek contacts with western men are easier to get in touch with on these sites, and you can take your communication to any platform you prefer: email, mobile, Skype, Viber, Whatsapp, or other apps.

However, you should be aware of the fact that some PPL agencies deceptively post their profiles on membership sites, and after exchanging a few mails “the woman”, who seemingly likes you very much and is extremely forthcoming, requests you to start paying for translations or correspondence through another site, because “it’s easier/more convenient” for her, “her computer broke”, or another excuse.

Do not be deceived: It’s exactly the same PPL scheme.

You have no idea who you are talking to, while forking out $2-5 per message. It’s about these amounts that you pay for “translations”, day by day, and not about building a relationship.

If it was about a relationship, the woman would be more excited to talk to you directly than through a mediator.

One more word of caution: PPL sites use professional makeup artists and photographers to perpetrate the dream.

The stunning girl you fell in love with from the photos may look slightly different without a 2-hour makeup and hair session and Photoshop adjustments.

You absolutely need to see her real life, un- touched photos, before you either spend thousands on paid chat or flying to another continent for a personal meeting (assuming she is there when you arrive).

If you talk directly, you can ask her for extra photos, see her on Skype. If you chat through the paid chat system, you have no idea how many years ago the photos were made.

You need direct contact before committing money and resources to your relationship.

If you still want to proceed with PPL method of communication, read these articles:

– How pay-per-message marriage agencies operate (http://blogs.elenasmodels.com/en/the- ugly-truth-about-ppl-dating-sites-for- ukrainian-women/)

– How agencies get women’s photos and who writes letters (http://blogs.elenasmodels.com/en/hilario us-ads-of-marriage-agencies-in-ukraine- 222-vacancies/)

– A victim of pay-per-letter dating sites shares his $100K experience (http://blogs.elenasmodels.com/en/victim -of-ppl-paid-chat-dating-sites-shares-his- 100k-experience/)

If you understand the PPL scheme fully and still want to use it, do not complain later that you have paid thousands of dollars, and have nothing to show for it.

You have been warned.

By Elena Petrova

Elena Petrova is a Russian-born life coach, who has drawn on her own experience as a former “mail order bride” to show just how easy it is for vulnerable men to be scammed when conversing with Russian and Ukrainian girls online for her new book.

Danielle White

Danielle is a Junior Reporter at Global Dating Insights. Originally from Reading, she has studied Multimedia Journalism at Bournemouth University and has a passion for writing and reporting. She enjoys travelling and likes to spend her free time socialising with friends and attending music events.

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