Victims come in all sizes, all colors, all genders and yes, in the field of international matchmaking, women are being scammed too. Here is a recent, and ongoing, scandal where a celebrity matchmaker used her position and power to fleece her female client list of tens of thousands of dollars. By the completion of this article, you might better understand and sympathize with those genuine ladies who put themselves out there looking for love. Just like you’re doing, right!
Roza Syabitova is the host of one of the most famous Russian TV dating shows for women. You are probably familiar with the format from TV shows like, “Love Connection” — they invite a handsome and successful single man and three women who possess the traits that he is looking for. The women then try to impress him so he chooses them for a date later.
What Happened
Capitalizing on her celebrity status, Ms Syabitova opened her own matchmaking agency and charged a premium for ladies to become members. They signed standard contracts which, it is claimed, guaranteed they would find a match within three months but both the contracts and the guarantee have not been proven.
One client, Natalya Zemskaya paid ~$4,000 for her matchmaking services, however she only received one date in that time who turned out to be a paid actor. Zemskaya sued the agency and Syabitova but using legal loopholes, Syabitova managed to avoid individual prosecution. The agency was also saved because Syabitova changed the names of owners and directors who could not be held accountable for past indiscretions of a company that no longer existed, on paper anyway.
Zemskaya won her court case but because of the loopholes, has never received any compensation while Syabitova continues to be a popular TV celebrity AND famous matchmaker. That was over three years ago.
But Wait, There’s More
Other clients subsequently sued Syabitova and won also, but to this day, not a single person has received any of the court appointed compensation. One of her clients claims that she always postponed their consultation meetings because of the filming of her TV show.
The original CEO of the company even quit and publicized that he did so because of the scams he witnessed by Syabitova, and that she never shared any of the company profits amounting to thousands of dollars. She showed off a database of rich and famous clients, yet only one man ever dated those ladies, a hired actor named Rim.
This scammer used her popularity to gain trust, but the bubble burst quickly, yet she is still allowed to continue her career as a TV host.
Scam Victims
It can be anyone at all in the industry of international matchmaking, not just here in Eastern Europe but all over the world. The ladies, some of them desperate, most in their late 30’s and older, undergo rigorous and expensive routines of workshops, agency hunting, portfolios, and professional consultations, anything to increase their chances of success, and to give themselves some hope. Sound familiar, guys?
Lessons Learned
You NEED to find a reputable agency. It is an article within itself but briefly, the best agency is one recommended by a friend or associate who has actually used that agency before. Beware, all agencies leave positive reviews on their website, but is that person actually real or is the review just another marketing scam? Try finding the guy or guys, social networks and Google has brought everything closer to the average person, so if you don’t know anyone personally, try and find a legitimate customer who will talk to you about their experience.
Lastly, understand that to be successful, you must remain realistic. With the advice and support of a good agency, your chances of success of meeting a real girl, the girl of your dreams, are upped markedly. Then my friends, it is all up to you. Not even the best agency in the world can say when you will meet that girl, and if you do, how long that relationship will last. Life does not give us those kind of guarantees, because that’s your job! Good luck.