At first I intended to tell you about the process of corresponding, to continue listing the things you should or shouldn't mention, but I can see that the most urgent question you'd like to find answer for is how to avoid scammers. Believe me, I hate these girls as much as you do. Men they cheat could have found a good girl and marry her, instead of it they lose their hope and think badly of all the Russian women. Some of the scammers manage to correspond with hundreds of men and cheat them - maybe that is the reason why they become so "famous"?

Everything I can say is also very obvious and was mentioned everywhere - don't give money to a girl if you don't know her well. If a girl asks you for money in the first or second letter - that's simple, you can see clearly that she's a scammer and stop correspondence. But some of them are real actresses, they can correspond with a person for months before making up the story about the ill father, for example. I also understand that such cases happen with honest girls and they can be in a situation when money is really needed. Let's see what I can advise.

First about paying for e-mails. It's difficult for me to say anything about it, as I have a free access to Internet and e-mail, but it is well-known the majority of Russian women don't have their own e-mail, they have to pay to marriage agencies for correspondence. I just want to say: don't believe when a girl says she pays $5 for every letter! This agency would be a bankrupt in a month with such high rates. I'll tell you approximate costs: when I was out of my city, I worked at the information center of a university and paid 30 cents per hour for work in Internet, during this time I could write several letters, more than one, at least. Now I pay $20 per month for unlimited access to Internet at night at home. The girl-friend of mine pays $10 per month for using e-mail service at the local university. I assume the prices can be higher at different places and agencies, but I think not more than $1 per letter (again, it's very high).

At the same time the salaries are very low, a girl can be paid $20 per month and give the half of her salary for correspondence. Maybe there are girls who're answering every letter with the hope that this foreigner will pay for her correspondence, but I'd sooner believe that she wouldn't start looking for a husband abroad at all, if she didn't have the minimum amount of money. I also know that honest girls are proud enough not to ask for money! My grandfather is very ill at the moment, when I told about it to the guy I'm corresponding with, he suggested helping me - but I refused. It's not only because I have enough money - I'm not rich, but I'm proud, and (it's also important now!) I don't want to look like a scammer.

Besides, I would never believe that at present a person in Russia can die without medical assistance. Medical treatment is still free, the problem can be buying medicines, but as a rule in such circumstances all the relatives and friends are ready to help, and it's extremely improbable that a girl can be in such a hopeless situation that she would ask you for money, if she knows she can lose you easily in this way.

At the same time I'd like to say the following: you should understand the financial situation here. Some of Russian women spend the most part of their salary for e-mail correspondence with you. If you know the girl for a long time, and (it's also important) she didn't ask you for money and didn't describe her bad financial situation in every letter, I don't think it would be so difficult for you to send $50 or even less to a girl. It will be a great help for her and will cost you almost nothing.

Again, you will take the decision, not anybody else, and you should listen to you heart, not to be suspicious all the time, but not to be gullible, too. If a girl tells you the number of her account at the bank or something like that - it's a "red flag". For example, I haven't any idea how the foreigner can send me money - and I've never been interested in it.

And now I'd like to tell you again: don't panic and don't make other people panic! Some men come here, read all these messages at the "Bad Experience" section of the message board and change their decision to marry a Russian girl. Who knows, maybe in other case he could make some really honest girl happy? It's good to warn, but please, don't threaten people! What's the point in messages saying that all Russian women are scammers and gold-diggers? If you think so, why have you come here at all?

Sorry for being too straightforward, I'd like to help, not insult you.