How do you know if someone is scamming you?

Question

I met this girl through a dating service but she is in Russia. I know what you're thinking and I thought it, too. I have been very cautious and always "played along" assuming that this could be a scam. But she never asked me to do anything for her and we have been corrisponding for a few months. Today, I got an email from her and she said that she got her papers to come to America. She even scanned her visa and attatched it. It appears to be real and it was dated as being issued with today's date. All of the info on it checks out with everything I know of her so far. Here's the issue. She has put all of her money together and even pawned some things to buy a ticket, but is still a few hundred dollars short. How do I know if she is really planning on coming here or just an elaborate ploy to get only a few hundred dollars? (really she's invested more time into this than the money that she needs). Or am I just stupid for thinking that a girl would leave her country to come meet a guy here

Help me here. Answer's like "she's not" don't help. She's not what? I asked multiple questions and don't know which one you're answering. Also, I want to address that the point of her coming here is to hopefully stay. I do want her to stay with me. I'm not worried about money in that respect I just don't want to send money to someone who isn't coming here.

Answer 1

It does seem a strange thing to do for a few hundred dollars, but she may be repeating this scam hundreds of times at once. Then again she may be real, maybe she just wants to come to America to have a better life. If this is case she is probably looking for someone to marry so that she can stay. Either way, I think that you are right to be cautious.

If you can't get her out of your head, why don't you offer to buy the ticket for her (i.e. pay for it on your credit card, so she doesn't get any money directly from you). If she accepts then she is serious. If she doesn't she probably just wants you to send her a few hundred dollars!

Answer 2

She might be planning to "visit" but then never go home. Where does she plan on staying once she arrives? In your bed? And then what? If she doesn't have the money to leave, what makes you think she has money to stay? Who's going to feed her and house her? Is she meeting you or is she planning on marrying you for her new life?
I wouldn't be concerned about a couple of hundred bucks, I'd be wondering if she's getting a round-trip ticket, or what her plan is once she got into your house. It's not the few bucks, it's after she arrives.
PS You can easily download government forms on the internet, so seeing "documents" doesn't guarantee anything.

Answer 3

shes not...