YEKATERINBURG, Russia, March 7 (UPI) -- A Canadian man has helped Russian police in Yekaterinburg arrest a couple behind an Internet bride scam that cheated foreigners of thousands of dollars.
Police said the man became worried about a woman he had fallen in love with through Web site "Russian Girls" after she sent him a message saying a large amount of money he sent her had been stolen by the Russian mafia, the Moscow Times reported.
The man flew to Russia to help his would-be bride, and there he contacted police. Officials then discovered the woman was the invention of a local couple. The couple ran the Russian Girls Web site, which police said consisted entirely of non-existent would-be brides.
The couple had scammed would-be fiancees through letters from the fake women asking for money. The site also had a section where the men could buy gifts for the imaginary women.
A police spokesman said the couple will be charged with fraud and will face up to 10 years in prison if convicted.
