Hello Irina,

What do you think about this Russian lady I'm having correspondence with? She is strange. Here is the first letter I get with the pics.

Dear Name!
It's great to receive news from you at Yahoo Personals. In my opinion, your name is beautiful! Your profile impressed me and I am very glad, that you have written to me. I would like to begin correspondence with you by e-mail, to speak with you on the phone and I think, we can meet in the near future.
Such is destiny, but I am lonely at the moment. And I have decided to join dating on the Internet, i wish to meet the man I will love and who will love me. I wish to find the man with whom I shall have harmony in many aspects of the life. I do not like to speak much about myself. But if you will ask me questions, I shall answer you sincerely. I do hope that your heart is open for new friends, because my heart is really open, and I'll be glad to talk to you Name. I know that right now I must write at least the most important things about myself. And I should admit that I feel uncertainty because I want to find the friend very much, but my desire is diluted with absence of any experience in dialogue via Internet. But I am sure that time will help me and you, if you feel the same. As you already know, my name is Ira. And I am Russian woman. To be honest, I was afraid that you will not write to me, being disappointed in my nationality and the residence. And if you think that cultural differences are the obstacle for friendship; if my nationality has saddened you; if the distance for you is the main thing in a friendship and relations, I'll try to understand you. But I sincerely think that for friendship there are no borders and distances. That is why I want to communicate with you, and I sincerely hope that you will be glad to have the female friend from Russia too. In my profile I wrote, that I am from USA. Actually the most part of my life I lived in Russia. About one year ago I have moved to Germany for improvement of professional skill. In some days I will return home to my native city Pskov. I studied at the Pskov university for 5 years and upon termination of training i have suggested to pass training in Germany. Now I am at Berlin and in May I have graduated a courses of the insurance agent. I?m very sorry, that I do not live in your country. You know, I would like to walk with you on the streets of your city, to talk on various themes, spend time being engaged in interesting and amusing things. Now we are divided by a lot of miles, but our meeting is possible. Next month I shall visit your country under the international program of an exchange of employees. Excuse me that I have desinformed you writing in my profile, that I live in the USA. I could not register on American dating site having specified, that I live in Russia or Germany. I do not know the reasons why I could not make it. I have started to legalize papers wich are necessary for arrival to your country. And next month we can meet. I have attached my photos to this letter. Name I hope that you will like my photos, and will be interested in me. I wait for your letter. Take care.
Ira.

This is the 2nd letter, there have been about 6 letters all together. Up to now she is in Russia with her Brother. I've told her I think she is a scammer and she says no she is not and that she is visiting her brother and his wife. The brother owns a small business. She also states that she is traveling to the US and wants to meet me, again not asking for money. What is throwing me off is the fact she is not asking for money, I can't find a pic of her on your site and also she answers most of the questions in my emails even the ones you say to ask on your side. Either this person is very good and willing to wait until the right moment or she is for real. The last thing is she tends to look a bit different, weight, age in the pics.

Hello my friend Name!
I am happy that you have received my letter and have written to me. I am very glad to meet you and I want us to become good friends. I really very much hope for it. I think it certainly is an unusual acquaintance at least for me as it is taking place via World Wide Web. But who knows may be there is a chance for us here? May be it'll turn out something more special than acquaintance in the street, in the park or at the party? Don't you think it is sometimes possible to say more in the letter than when meeting in person looking into each other's eyes? Name to me it is very pleasant, that you liked to look at my photos and to know more about me. I hope, that each following letter for you will bring to you only pleasure and positive emotions. It is very pleasant to me to read that you would like to learn me better. I yet do not know, where exactly I shall travel to the USA. I shall inform you when I shall know more. I can probably agree to travel to your district. I think, that we well can learn each other up to our meeting our electronic letters. I very much would wish to see your photos. Please, send me your photos. I think, that in it there is nothing complex. I hope, that you will send me your photos very soon. Please, excuse me that I could not answer you quickly. Simply now I have many affairs before my travel to Russia. Only therefore I could not answer you quickly. I hope, that you understand me. To me was to read very sadly and unpleasantly that you have thought that my letter is fraud. I do not understand, from what you have taken it? I know, that on the Internet many malicious and unscrupulous people who deceive people on money. I despise such people. But I hope, that you do not think, that all women in Russia are false and deceptive. Ray in this letter I shall write to you some information about myself.
I am a sociable, cheerful young woman. I am serious in search my soulmate, so we have one common goal. We can become close people only if we pursue this goal together. I think only good friends can share thoughts with each other easily. I will not keep from you that I am a little bit nervous at the beginning of our communication, but I want to believe everything will work well between us. I am filled by optimism and believe that our future depends only on us. I am youthful, energetic, burn with the desire to find my place in this life, meet my soulmate, whom I can feel the real love with and go through our life together! My dream is to be happy and make another man happy, whom I'll share my life way with. I am not afraid of barriers; I am ready to overcome any difficulties that can separate us. The man whom I am looking will be my single, the most loving, the kindest and the most careful, unique one in the whole world! I am looking for such a man! Maybe it is you? By nature I am an optimist and I believe my search will be completed happily, I am sure I will be lucky to meet my Only Love in this way of keeping communication. My interests include different things. I like to listen to different styles of music - pop, classical, ballads, but the main rule it must sound beautifully and of course a lot depends upon my mood. I cannot help mentioning reading; it is one of my favorite hobbies. I even can not imagine my life without books and magazines. I like to read classical literature. Sometimes I just like to stay alone at home and to think everything over, what is going around me. I am very sociable and easy-going; I like to make jokes, to tell different funny stories. I value faithful friends and of course I believe in love. I want always to trust people, to enjoy life as it is. You know such qualities as honesty, loyalty and kindness are very important for me. Tomorrow I shall travel at home to Russia, in my native city Pskov. It is very good city approximately in one thousand kilometers from Moscow. I think, that if you were here you very much would like my city. My daddy has died, when to me there were 8 years. And my mum still is vigorous and vigorous. Also I have the brother who is the big support in our family. He is married and has the little girl. My brother very good person, he very helped me with my travel to Germany. Earlier he worked at furniture factory, and now he speaks me, that he has begun the business. My brother speaks me, that it succeeds in his business. It speaks, that wants to distribute his business in some countries of the world. I shall live together with him and his family. They very much wait to meet me tomorrow. I shall be In Russia about 3-4 weeks. Then I shall travel on work. I think, that I shall travel to your country in July. For me it would be very healthy to meet you. Now I yet do not know, where exactly I shall travel. I shall know it when I shall be in Russia. You like pets? I hope, that to you my letter was pleasant prohonour and to see my photo. Certainly, I shall send my photos in following letters. I would like to get to know more about you. Ray please tell me about your life, family, and interests. What are your dreams? What would you like to know about me? Feel free to ask me everything you want, I will answer with great pleasure. I will be waiting for your reply. Have a nice day! Sincerely, Ira

Here is the last the next to last email I get from her. I've included pics.

Dear Ray!
I am very happy to hear from you. I hope you too with pleasure read my letters, because everything what is written in them is out of my heart, soul and head. I'm glad that technology has allowed us to bridge distance, so that two people who share the same passion may still be able to get to know one another. I try to keep things as simple as possible and let life takes its natural course. Sometimes good things begin with just an e-mail, and I would like to think that at the very least, we will be able to maintain the level of friendship we have been blessed with through our correspondence. I truly enjoy corresponding with you Ray. I think that the way we express our thoughts and feelings on the paper may give us an opportunity to know ourselves. Our letters help to express our emotions about what we look for in each other. I think that our letters will be like a mirror for us, where we will be able to see the reflections of ourselves.
Ray I hope, that you have read through it. If you could read through it and if you want I can continue to write to you in Russian. I understand that you love cold weather. I think, that you somehow will need to arrive to Russia in the winter. In the winter here it is very cold. I think, that you at all do not represent. I can see, that you now have hot solar weather. We at this time, on the contrary, have many thunder-storms and rains. I do not know, why I liked yours profile. But when I have seen you, very much it wanted to me to write to you the letter. It is valid so fine, that you are going to travel to Russia soon. I shall be very glad to meet you and to acquaint you with my brother. I am assured, that you will love my country and the nature here. To me very sadly to hear that some your friends speak you that in me there is something unreal. I have been very surprised to hear about it. I very much would wish to know, what exactly is unreal in me. I shall not ask you about any money. I have money. And for my travel my brother will give me money. Therefore I do not think at all of it. I simply communicate with you and I learn you more. I very much like to communicate with you. Therefore tell to your friends greetings from me and tell, that we can have with them personal acquaintance when I shall be in the USA. And then they let will explain to me, that in me is unreal.
In this letter I wish to tell to you as I have lead this weekend. In this weekend we with my brother and its wife went on our country summer residence. There we had a rest. In the afternoon we went to a wood behind mushrooms. I very much like to search for mushrooms and to walk on a wood. There such fresh air, singing of birds. So it is pleasant to me. I at once as soon as has arrived to Russia have told to the brother, that I very much wish to go on a summer residence and to go to a wood. In a wood we have collected many mushrooms. Then I have welded soup from mushrooms and have fried them. In the evening my brother fried meat on coals. I so like so easy to have a rest. While we sat at a fire and waited some coals I much thinking about you my darling Ray. I so wanted, that you were with us this evening. It would be so fine if you were with us. I was ready to give everything, that at me is if only only to appear near to you. Then we with my brother and its wife sat in the house and sang songs under a guitar. I very much like to sing songs. Also I very much like to play on a guitar. When we shall be together, I shall necessarily play for you. I hope, that you will love it. Next day my brother has persuaded me to go to fish. Near to our country house there is a lake. We bathed there and fished. I have caught one fish. I send you a photo of our extraction (only please be not dared!). We have very well spent time on our country summer residence together with family of my brother. They speak you greetings. I hope, that sometime we can have a rest together there. There really it is very healthy!
In this letter I send you some photos which have been made in this weekend. I hope, that you will love these photos. I hope, that you will write to me very soon, because I much thinking about you my dear Ray! I am valid so I miss on you now much. I send you the kisses and embraces and I shall wait your letter with greater impatience.
Yours Ira

Hello Ray,

It is a scammer.
1. Interesting but lack of people in staff (many have holidays there) influenced the letters much. They have to work more and have a lot of small errors in this.
2. You can see that in some places "she" has not changed the word Name to your name. Usually they just come with replace features and change it. In some letters she has done it , in some not. The letters are pre-written and I doubt, you can imagine a real women who will write in her letter to her boyfriend "Dear Name" , or "Dear my friend Name". It is obviously a template.
3. The letters were pre-written in June, the beginning. You see that in this letter she writes that she will stay in russia for 3-4 weeks and then will "go to USA" in July. The time contradicts.
4. You met her at yahoo personals. Russian women do not go there, they do not have credit cards to pay from (this was obviously a false credit card from USA, she came from anonimous proxy in USA and so has to write USA as her country).
5. I cant imagine her brother from Pskov succeed in furniture busineess and distribute his business to other countries. To distribut to other countries Russian furniture company should be very big. I do not know such russian furniture company.

She is a scammer. She obviously a not experienced now and makes some errors but she knows English and first writes a first part of the letter answering some of your questions and then adds pre-written template.

Best regards,
Irina

Thank you for your email. I replaced the ray with name as I saw from other sites that other people had done this but your other reasons you had given me seem correct. What made me think this was false was that she said she was coming to the US in one of her letters regarding work but had no idea where I was at but could land at any airport of my choosing. This was one of the first red flags. The fact that she was able to answer any of my questions was what was throwing me off..

Thank you again.
Ray