MetaFilter users help save two Russian women

[centerstage01]

This is unbelievable. Long story short, two Russian women pay $3000 to come to the US for work, only to find out at the last minute their jobs were rescinded but there would be something else found for them when they got to the US. They arrive in Washington DC and told to call some guy named George who barely speaks Russian. He tells them to go to NYC where they'd get work as "hostesses" at a nightclub. Turns out, they may have been walking into a sex trafficking ring.

http://motherjones.com/mojo/2010/05/...ssian-sex-ring

It's amazing to see so many people reaching out to help, not only the women, but the friend posting on MetaFilter.

[MikiAndoFan#1]

It's horrible that things like this happen everyday.



I hope everything works out for these women. Good luck!

[Tinami Amori]

Ok, this is going to sound “a bit mean”….

Firs of all “3X cheers for all the people who sincerely helped the girls”!!!
And, no matter what, nobody should be subjected to sex slavery.

That said, I wonder about the girls a bit…

18 and 20 year old Russian Girls of Today are usually very savvy street-wise pragmatic girl. You can’t pull one over on them easily….

They are no Anna Kareninas and no Natasha Rostovas…… and no Tatiana Larinas. They don’t leave love letters in a tree trunk or throw themselves under a train out of “pure love”…… and don’t pick up a grenade to stop a Nazi Tank to save the Mother-land.

They “calculate”, “plan”, “project”, “estimate” and “count” EVERYTHING AND EVERY ONE that comes their way. They watch every word they say, plan every comment, facial expression and gesture….. They don’t do anything “just because”…. They are in a constant hunt to “improve their current condition”, often by “any means possible”.

Such girls know EVERY THING about America, Canada, Europe and “what is where and how much and who and how…..”

Such girls know that an offer maybe “shady” but they think they can benefit from it, and often do become victims of “much savvier adventurers”.

This job situation sounded like a “shady offer”.

America is NOT in a desperate need of a high-level hard to find profession called “Life Guard”….. There millions of American young pretty healthy girls who would be happy to get such a job for the summer.

$3000 of advance payment to “travel to USA to get a summer job” is pretty much how much a student can expect to make during summer job any way.

“The Visa company” is a typical “scham company” who offers people fake invitations for Visa issuance. If there were real jobs it’s the company which hired girls should have given them a Letter of Invitation for a Visa.

The girls obviously thought “Hey, this sounds like an easy fun job, if it is real. Maybe we can meet some guys to marry or some kind of other good opportunity may come alone….. And if this is not a “real job” then let’s get to USA anyway…. We’ll figure something out….. maybe we’ll get lucky in something….. “.

Well, they got lucky alright……. They meet many “bleeding hearts” who helped them and probably will keep helping them….
In reality, their parents have some kind of money if they gave them 3 grand for this “escapade”. If worst came to worst…… the girls would have called the parents and had money wired to them to come home to Russia.

There is a good movie….. with Nicole Kidman – “The Birthday Girl”.

[Wyliefan]

As of 2007, Russia was one of the top 10 countries of origin for human trafficking victims.

Thank God that guy was able to find help for these two women.

[Buzz]

Non of this is anything new. The chaos the followed the collapse of the USSR has been a bonanza for organised crime figures who deal in trafficing women for sex. There have been many documentaries and special news reports on the subject. The former USSR is also one of the top source countries for mail order brides.