Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Daniil of Moscow
[REGNUM] Muscovite Pavel Devyatov (not his real name) still can't believe he fell for such a simple scam. The encounter on a popular dating app seemed ordinary: a cute girl, pleasant correspondence, and an offer to meet.
On their first date, she suggested going to a "cozy spot" for a hookah. Pavel agreed—what could be suspicious about a girl wanting to show him her favorite cafe?
The evening was going pleasantly until the bill arrived. It was about 60,000 rubles for a hookah, tea, and light snacks. Pavel was shocked, but he had to pay—the establishment hinted that otherwise "there would be problems."
The girl disappeared under the pretext of going to the restroom before the bill arrived. The next day, her profile was deleted and her phone number blocked.
Pavel's story is just one example of how scammers exploit people's desire to find a soulmate.
FROM VIRTUAL LOVE TO REAL LOSSES
The Ministry of Internal Affairs has drawn attention to a common scam on dating sites. According to the agency, there's a high probability you're dealing with a scammer if the person claims to live abroad but is actively seeking a partner in a Russian region.
The scheme works simply: the scammer creates an attractive profile and indicates, for example, that he or she is temporarily abroad—working as a doctor in a war zone, an engineer on an oil rig, or a military adviser.
After weeks of correspondence and virtual declarations of love, requests for money begin. The reasons are always urgent. For example, the perpetrators claim they've been detained at the border and need funds for bail.
Another popular ploy is to lure the victim into "investing." First, the standard treatment begins: a glamorous life, travel photos, expensive restaurants. Then the new acquaintance begins to casually talk about their successful investments.
The victim is shown screenshots of huge sums in accounts and told about simple ways to make money on cryptocurrency or exchanges. Then they offer to teach them how to make their first money. The victim invests a small amount and may even be shown profits on a fake platform.
And then the classic scenario begins: to withdraw profits, you need to pay an additional “commission” or “tax” and activate a “premium account.”
A man met one of these victims in a dating chat on a popular messaging app, and after a while, his "trader friend" joined the conversation. After a brief conversation, the woman transferred 20,000 rubles. She was then transferred to a more experienced "specialist," who topped up her account with an equal amount.
When the scammers began persuading her to take out a 400,000 ruble loan to participate in a "special project," and when she refused, they resorted to threats, it became clear to the woman that it was a scam.
In addition to the classic schemes, new ones are emerging. For example, a profile might state that the person is very busy, so please leave your phone number and a personal assistant will contact you.
This means there's a marriage agency in operation. They'll then extort money for "improving your profile," promising to introduce you to a wealthy candidate in exchange.
Another scenario is when the profile states that the person is willing to help financially, but requires that you meet their expectations. Most likely, they'll ask for explicit photos, and then begin blackmailing you.
3,976,652
There are several warning signs that should alert dating site users. The main one is attempts to transfer the conversation to another messaging app.
Official apps are moderated, artificial intelligence monitors suspicious activity, and messages can be verified after a complaint. Regular messaging apps lack such protections. Therefore, scammers always insist on switching to third-party apps, citing "I rarely use them" or "it's easier to share photos there."
You should also be wary of unnatural communication. If the other person responds with generalities, ignores specific questions, or uses strange turns of phrase, it's possible they're a bot or a person working from a template.
When asked, "How did you spend your weekend?" a normal person will share something personal. A scammer might say something like, "The weekend is a great time to relax"—a text clearly culled from a script.
Overly perfect photos are another red flag. Model-like appearance, professional shots, and travel to exotic countries should raise suspicions. Such photos should be checked using an image search—it often turns out that the photos were stolen from other people's pages or stock photo sites.
Older adults are at increased risk. According to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, the average loss from romance scams among people over 70 was $9,000—almost four times higher than in other age groups.
In one high-profile case, an 87-year-old Manhattan resident lost approximately $2.8 million that he transferred to a woman he met on a dating site.
Sometimes victims themselves become unwitting accomplices to crime. An 81-year-old American woman was sentenced to five years' probation for working as a "money mule" for her virtual lover. She opened fraudulent bank accounts and cashed the checks sent, ignoring warnings from federal agents that she was being scammed.
Unfortunately, recovering money transferred to fraudsters is virtually impossible. Law enforcement agencies are rarely able to help, especially if the criminals operated from abroad.
HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF Rule No. 1 Plead poverty.
Never transfer money to people you met online, even if you've been communicating for months. True feelings aren't measured by money transfers.
Be extremely careful when clicking links from new acquaintances. They may suggest chatting in another chat room, supposedly "more convenient." However, if you click on such a link, you could encounter a virus or phishing scam.
Video calls are an easy way to test your interlocutor. If someone avoids video calls for months, citing a bad connection or a broken camera, that's cause for concern. Real people with serious intentions aren't afraid to show their true colors.
If the scammer succeeds, you should definitely contact the police. It's important to save all correspondence, screenshots of the scammer's profile, and transaction details. You should also contact the dating service—they'll block the scammer's account. This will at least protect other users to some extent.
Dating sites and apps are a great way to find love, but it's important to remember safety. Be vigilant, exercise healthy suspicion, and verify your partner's information—names, photos, and reviews.
New: Kalamazoo, Michigan Shooting Leaves 4 Hospitalized After Early Morning Fight
On Saturday, around 3:15 a.m., Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety responded to shots fired in the 2700 block of West Michigan Avenue, finding a 19-year-old man shot in the heel and grazed.… pic.twitter.com/zp2B0pABfE
Three more men (two 23-year-olds with foot wounds, one 23-year-old with a stomach wound) sought hospital treatment; a 21-year-old had minor debris injuries. All expected to recover.
One has been arrested on weapons charges, two additional people are of interest from the incident.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/22/2025 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[1816 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
Sounds like they need to designate Yosemite Sam a person of interest.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
09/22/2025 6:15 Comments ||
Top||
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, September 21, 2025, 07:36 — Regnum News Agency. Brazil has excluded the United States from participating in the second forum "In Defense of Democracy and Against Extremism" at the UN General Assembly. This was reported by CNN Brasil.
As specified, the decision was made against the backdrop of American sanctions.
The meeting will take place next Wednesday in New York. The forum is being organized at the initiative of Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, along with the leaders of Spain, Colombia, Chile, and Uruguay. Representatives from approximately 30 countries are expected to participate.
On July 6, US President Donald Trump announced his intention to impose additional trade tariffs on countries that support BRICS policies. He also claimed that the group's policies are anti-American.
On July 8, the head of the White House announced that the United States would introduce import duties of 10% against BRICS member countries.
Posted by: badanov ||
09/22/2025 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[1769 views]
Top|| File under: Tin Hat Dictators, Presidents for Life,
#1
Another good reason to defund the UN and kick them out. Make them hate us for free from someplace else.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
09/22/2025 6:14 Comments ||
Top||
#2
Fuck Brazil. Can all visa's, stop any funding of any kind and all trade, Ban any US air carrier from going to Brazil, remove FAA certs on their airports, and send all from Brazil home. It is time to stop pandering to tin pot countries. Fuk around and find out.
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
09/22/2025 11:13 Comments ||
Top||
Baku, September 21, 2025, 4:50 PM — Regnum News Agency. Dutch Red Bull driver Max Verstappen won the 17th round of the Formula 1 World Championship, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, held on the Baku street circuit.
Second place went to Great Britain's George Russell from the Mercedes team, with third place going to the Spaniard from Williams, Carlos Sainz.
Meanwhile, the leader in the drivers' standings, Australian Oscar Piastri of McLaren, retired on the first lap but retained first place with 324 points. Another McLaren driver, Briton Lando Norris, is second (299), while Verstappen is third (255).
McLaren leads the Constructors' Championship with 623 points, followed by Mercedes (290) and Ferrari (286). The next Formula 1 round will be held in Singapore from October 3 to 5.
On July 5, Charles Leclerc took the fastest lap in the third practice session of the British Grand Prix, completing a lap in 1 minute 25.498 seconds. Piastri finished second (+0.068), and Verstappen third (+0.087).
Prior to this, on August 29, Norris won the 11th round of the Formula 1 Championship, the Austrian Grand Prix in Spielberg. Piastri finished second (+2.695), and Leclerc was third (+19.820).
[ZERO] Paris is crippled this week by constant protests designed to throttle traffic and shit down basic services, and the majority of the mob is comprised of far left activists including Antifa.
The Paris actions are coupled with nationwide demonstrations that saw sporadic clashes with police who fired volleys of tear gas. Activists argue that eight years of leadership by France’s "business-friendly president" Emmanuel Macron have benefited too few people and hurt too many.
The protests ignited in response to austerity measures issued by the struggling government, including cuts to socialist programs and an increase in the national retirement age.
Macron’s opponents complain that taxpayer-funded public services - free schools and public hospitals, subsidized health care, unemployment benefits and other safety nets that are cherished in France - are being eroded. France has crawled from one crisis to another since he dissolved parliament in 2024, triggering a legislative election that stacked Parliament’s lower house with critics of the president.
Left-wing parties and their supporters want higher taxes for the wealthy and businesses to pay more to help rein in France’s debts, rather than see public spending cuts that they contend will hit low-paid and middle-class workers. France's national debt was reported at $3.6 trillion US by the end of 2024, growing by nearly $1 trillion since 2023. This is over 100% of the country's annual GDP.
Placards at the Paris demonstration read: "Tax the rich."
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
[ZERO] Paris is crippled this week by constant protests designed to throttle traffic and shit down basic services, and the majority of the mob is comprised of far left activists including Antifa. 
