Single men can and often do receive communications from ladies based overseas, the paper relationship can escalate quickly, and very soon money is requested for air tickets, hospital expenses or whatever.

The women can me much younger and very beautiful and the men naturally feel flattered and perhaps even experience deep emotional feelings.

Often the advertised profiles are totally made up, and you could well be actually be corresponding with another man!

This fraud is massive and worldwide but a lot of it originates out of Africa. There are numerous internet articles setting out what to look for and how to be on your guard. So I won't go into that here.

On the other hand I guess that the majority of advertisers are genuine.

I'm simply making the point that once you are asked for money please make diligent checks including requesting a copy of your suitor's passport.

After joining this site I was very quickly asked for money. Maybe she was genuine, but I didn't stay around to find out.

Ladies by all means continue to approach overseas men (if they are open to such) but please be prepared to fund your own lives.

Actually I have many friends, both men and women, who have found their partner from outside their country.

My wife was French/Jamaican, so we had family in all three countries.

Also I understand the attraction and practical side as well. Some people (I'm one I guess) don't quite fit some of the mentality of the US mainstreet of values and found it easier to meet someone who didn't have certain preset images as to how life or society works.

This may sound weird but if you hang out with couples who have this kind of mixed culture thing it makes more sense. For example my wife and I never fought about the things we would see a lot of couples fight about.

I'm not saying it's better, just works for some. One thing I would say that was different was we made our own rules and our own world that didn't worry about what the Jones' did.