From Russia With Love or So much for Glasnost

I have discovered that I am not so desperate for love that I will fall for a scam. The woman I have been corresponding with, and who said she wants to come to see me, called me today and said she needed money because her embassy requires a round-trip ticket, and she only has enough money for a one-way ticket. So she asked me to send her some money. I had been suspicious from the beginning and told myself that if at any point she asked for money, that I would not send it, because that is how scams work. So, anyway, she said she will send me a copy of the communique from her embassy. I sent her an e-mail stating that I would be willing to purchase a round-trip ticket in her name, if she wired me the funds for the one-way ticket she was supposed to purchase (putting the shoe on the other foot so to speak). We'll see if she is sincere, or if it's just another scam. I went to a website that deals with Russian scams, and there is a host of scenarios described by victims. Almost all of them start with the woman making contact and declaring their hope for love within a few e-mails. Arrangements are made to travel to see the victim, but then they need a large sum of money for some reason. When the person sends the money, they never hear from the person again. Sounds famillar doesn't it. We'll see, what happens. But at this point, I think this is another one of those fantasies I tend to chase. But at least I still have my cash. Mental note: How many beautiful 20 something women, fall in love with 47 year old man, they've never met. Something is rotten in Denmark, or Moscow, or where the heck ever.