Blacklist Page 5

Women on this Page:

Natalya Bakalova, Olga Timashova, Larisa Kutorgenko

Submit your Scam Complaint

Individual Caution: Natalya Bakalova
ADDED:December 10, 2001
Last Updated: January 8th, 2002

Name(s): Natalya, Natasha
Date of birth: not supplied
Internal Passport Number : CH914541
Address given:
Krasnozvezdny prospect 117, apt 1
Kiev, Ukraine


Phone given: 38 044 516 84 20

email: natbak@ukr.net

Possible Co-conspirators:
Elena Kot (Person to send money to) Confirmed!
Eugene Makarov ("Owner" of "Medved Travel Co")

Fraudelent Agency: MEDVED TRAVEL CO
Agency address: Antonovicha str, 6
03120 Kiev
Ukraine

Phone #: +38 068 321 85 98

Agency email: medvedtravel@ukr.net

Bank information supplied: None, money was to go to Elena Kot that supposedly worked for Medved Travel Co which turned out to be unreachable and using a mobile phone number for contact, as well as a free email account. Upon further investigation, sources in Kiev confirmed that Medved Travel Co does not exist and the address given for them is an empty building.

Initial Complaint:

I first contacted this girl in September, 2001 through match.com, where she is under the user name of Natasha1164. We corresponded over the period of 3 months during which time she raised no "red" scam signs. Her emails were very normal, talking about friends, world politics and events, things she id on the weekend, likes & dislikes.. She always answered my questions and asked some of me. She did not ever mention financial hardship, profess her "undying love", send provocative pics, nor ever ask for money. None of the typical "red" flags that are common to scammers. She did, however, raise a couple of "pink" flags, which were enough to rouse my suspicions. "Pink" flags:

1) She mentioned she had a friend that works at a travel agency 2) Claims to use an internet cafe but her email headers show she uses a dial up modem connection and uses Outlook Express as a mail client. 3) Mentioned that she was born and raised in Kiev, but her mom died of cancer from the Chernobyl accident

All the above mentioned "pink" flags were over the course of emails during 3 months and each could have a very plausible explanation, so I gave her the benefit of the doubt, though they were enough to save me my money in the end.

After 3 months of correspondence we began discussing the idea of meeting. She said that it didn't matter if I came to Kiev or she came to Barcelona where I live. I wrote back and said that I thought it would be nice if she came here to Barcelona so she could get a chance to travel and see something new because in one email she said that she had never been out of the Ukraine. Of course she thought this was a nice idea and wrote back that she called the travel agency and could get a bus tour to Barcelona for $420. She enclosed a simple .txt file she said the travel agency (Medved Travel Co) gave her on a floppy with the price list of various hotels and corresponding prices of the tour package. She probably got this information (names of hotels here in BCN) from a legitimate travel agency and typed them out herself, possibly changing the prices to make it more attractive, as information given to me by other legitimate travel agencies on coming to BCN were more expensive. I wrote back and asked her for information on travel agency. She replied my giving me the email and a phone number of Medved. Since my suspicions had been aroused from the "pink" flags I mentioned above, I decided to check this agency out so I wrote an email to Medved requesting further information. "Medved" replied enclosing a .txt file with the above mentioned address and phone number and also the name of the person I should wire the money to. The first red flag was that the email from this "Medved Travel" was one of those free email accounts anyone can set up, which seemed a bit strange to me. I got on the internet and tried finding info about this company and found absolutely nothing. I did, however, find out that the phone number given to me was a MOBILE phone number ! Red flag #2 - no company would give a mobile phone number as a contact phone! At this point I got in contact with my friends at antiscam.net and they confirmed this was indeed strange. They (THANKS!) tried emailing "Medved" in Russian and also got in contact with people in Kiev. At this point, I wrote another email to "Medved" asking for VERY detailed information on the company - company bank account, affiliations with embassies and professional organizations, the names of the tour operators they work with in arranging tours to Barcelona, and most important, the Accreditation IATA # of the company. I did not receive a reply. While I was waiting for this reply, my friends and antiscam.net got confirmation from a person in Kiev that the company "Medved Travel Co" does not exist at the address given. I wrote one last email to Natasha playing stupid in which I said I was having trouble getting a reply from Medved and would she please call them, to see her reaction. I did not receive a reply from her.

So, moral of the story, guys? ALWAYS check out information given to you about agencies, and NEVER send money blindly to someone you have never met. And most importantly, ALWAYS follow you gut instinct! If it smells even the least bit fishy, it probably is! Following my gut instinct has saved me from 3 scams so far.

SRP Barcelona, Spain

Additional Information or Complaint(s):

I began contact with this women during the middle of September through kiss.com. We corresponded regularly during 3 months. After about 2 months of correspondence we began talking about meeting. I work for a large multinational company and we have our own in-house travel department through which I can arrange trips (including visa costs) at a substantial discount, so I decided to bring this women to New York city. I made the arrangements and wrote Natasha about the travel agency she must go to in Kiev in order to submit the necessary documents for the visa. She wrote back and said she does not have an international passport, which is one of the documents needed for the visa. She wrote back telling me that this would cost $125 and that she couldn't afford such an expense all at once, though she did not come right out and ask for the money directly. Since her emails were very normal and she had never once asked for money, I wired her the $125. I wrote her that I had sent this money on December 18th. No reply from her. After Dec 18th, I sent 3 more emails and still no replies. At first I thought she was busy because of the holidays, but then two days ago I received an email from her, but with another guy's name on the greeting of the email. This email, by the way, is almost an exact copy of one I received toward the beginning of our correspondence. I did a bit of research on scam sites, found this one, and guess what? She is listed on page 50 at http://www.womenrussia.com/blacklist.htm . That's when I knew I had been scammed. Oh well, I only lost $200 ($125 for passport, plus $75 I sent after about a month of writing her to help with internet costs), but the valuable lesson I learned is almost worth it.

Regards,
Steve L / NY, NY

Read her emails to Steve here.

The girl in the photo is Natalya Bakalova. She managed to rob me of $550. She made me believe that a travel
agency in Kiev had made a reservation for a trip to Spain. This agency even
got in contact with me. The truth is that they fooled me pretty good. The
mangaged to get me to send $550 through Western Union. I recently discovered
a web page that talks about these types of girls, the majority from Russia
and Ukraine. Its: http://scamalert.freeservers.com/contact.html
Regards
P From Spain

(editors note)
In the above scam this Natalya actually sent a scan of her internal passport which made the whole thing seem even more genuine. There appears to be two women involved in this operation although there could well be more. They are well organised and don't show any signs or "red flags" in initial correspondance as you might expect. We have had 5 reports so far on this woman. Don't for one moment think she's genuine if you end up writing to her.

Individual Caution: Olga Timashova
ADDED:January 9, 2002
Last Updated:

Name(s): Olga Timashova
Date of birth:

Address given: Nizhnekurganskaya street 27/139; Donetesk, Ukraine

Phone given: none

email: blissaj@mail.ru


Bank information supplied: Western Union

Agency: Bliss run by Nikitina Anna, advertised through Absolute Agency
No web site for Bliss Agency

Initial Complaint:

I am certain that I have been scammed by a girl called Olga Timashova from Bliss agency (no web-site) in Donetesk.
They advertise through absoluteagency.com. The reference number is A1492349

Her e-mails are quite interesting. I fell for nothing except the MONTHLY subscription fee of US$ 91.35 of course ! I am experienced and was either wise or lucky ! Oldest e-mails are at the top, and youngest ones are at the bottom. If you study the letters carefully, all replies to me <MC> whether from Bliss <BA> or Olga Timashova <OT> (except one which is from Nikitina Anna herself when they suspected I was on to them) are actually composed by the same person.

Bliss scam is to use the photo of a beautiful model, and the office staff pretend to be the girl in the photo. They charge $91.35 a month to correspond with her (which is OK if she existed !). Because most foreigners don't speak Russian, they expect $250 to teach her enough English to speak on the phone so that she can talk dirty to you (but I speak Russian and don't need it), and then try to arrange that she comes to see you (obviously asking for money for the trip but that didn't work because visas to UK are impossible unless you can prove that you have met them first). When I said I was coming to Ukraine to meet her, rather that being excited, she said don't write anymore. And her reply took 10 minutes to come back at 4.30am Ukraine time. So what office is open at 4.30am ?

Mark C / Bramhall England UK

Read the emails to Mark here

Additional Information or Complaint(s):

Please be advised that this is the first complaint.
If you have a complaint or additional information on this woman or agency please contact us.

Individual Caution: Larisa Kutorgenko
ADDED: January 9, 2002
Last Updated:

Name(s): Larisa
Date of birth: (1977 - 1976 ?)

Address given: Pobeda str.13 apt 114Kremenchug, Ukraine zip code39601

Phone given: 3805366 30653 (friends)

email: style@sat.poltava.ua

Bank information supplied: none

Agency: Westtravel Co. (account mgr: Oksana Stolyarenko)
emial for Westtravel [was Westtravel@ru.net Is now westtravel@ukr.net]

Initial Complaint:

Steve, I meet Larisa on Absolute dating site.She lives in Kremenchug Ukraine.She say's she is 25 yr's old.Address (Pobeda str.13 apt 114Kremenchug, Ukraine zip code39601) Phone # She say's it's here Friend's but she is there very fast when i call(3805366 30653).E mail Address (style@sat.poltava.ua) I have been writing to her for several month's. I asked her if she had a passport, so she could come to vist. She said she did not but there is Travel Company in town,That can make Paper's, Document's, Travel Arraingment's. I Told her to check on cost , Have them send ME a letter with List of Cost's for All.

They sent me a letter, they Told me They would do all Paper's & Travel Plan's For $2506.00.I Found TheirWeb site. (Westtravel Co. ) In Kremenchug, Ukraine.(Westtravel@ru.net) Is now (westtravel@ukr.net). Money was sent in name of (Oksana Stolyarenko,Account Manager) Sent thru Money Gram.They sent me a letter saying they have Recived Money, Given Xtra to Larisa.$250.00) And that Paper's and All would be done very quickly. They sent to me a letter sayung all is done she will be on her way very soon. then they sent a letter saying she will be on plane Sunday morning. Dated 12 / 14 / 2001. I have asked several times for them to send copies of Paper's,Document's, They sent None.On saturday before she is to leave she write's & say's she Must have Phone for Parent's, ($465.00) or she will not be comfortable in leaving . I told her that we could do that just not right now, I am just a little short on cash. West trravel sent me a letter sunday morning saying she did not come for ride to airport.I sent to her a letter asking if she had 2nd thought's, Fear's?? Very soon a lady called saying she is friend, Larisa is in hospital. will send a letter telling me All. I have gotten NOTHING from Her or West travel. since then. I sent travel co. a letter saying If she has changed her mind, Please refund money for Plane ticket. Nothing!!! I have sent copy of money recived letter to web master at ukr.net he is looking in to it. It was sent on his system.

I have asked web master from her e mail address for any info, also have asked Absolute dating for same? Well You never Know. I have sent Letters to Us. Embassy in Ukraine. Ukraine Embassy in New York. And also to Interpol, asking for any help they can give, I will Press Charges,IF We can Find
Them!!!!!! Scott Wiggins , NY, NY USA

Additional Information or Complaint(s):

Please be advised that this is the first complaint.
If you have a complaint or additional information on this woman or agency please contact us.