Roger Wright’s article about marriage agencies being a scam (Kyiv Post, May 27, “American comes up empty-handed in 10-year search for Ukrainian wife”) is absolutely true and I should know.

I have lived in Kyiv and run a marriage agency for almost 10 years. The marriage agency industry is a scam industry that makes lawyers look like angels.

What Wright mentioned is just the proverbial tip of the iceberg. He wrote that the agencies are full of “professional daters” and “no quality Ukrainian women would use an agency.”

Why would an agency want genuine women? Real women, most times, will not want to meet a client because they do not see him as a potential future husband. What the agencies want are “ringers” and what Wright calls “professional daters.”

Ringers will always want to meet with the client. Why? Because they are getting paid to meet the client of course! This is not to mention that the agency will make money for the introduction too. With real girls, it is hard for the agency to arrange meetings and get paid. Ringers don’t have any intention of marrying the client.

But she will want him to take her to bars and restaurants that she could never afford, as well as take him on a big spending spree.

I know you frequently see foreign men trailing two meters behind some beauty in the local shopping centers with arms full of her bags.


What is alarming is the result of scamming agencies. What is being scammed from the man? Money is important, but what is really getting scammed is the man’s chance at finding happiness and building a family. His life is literally being stolen from him. The real tragedy is the collateral damage.

Also, they pretend to be boyfriend and girlfriend, so that when the client returns to his home country he will send her several hundred dollars each month. If the lady has several “boyfriends” like this, she is making a good living!

What is alarming is the result of scamming agencies. What is being scammed from the man? Money is important, but what is really getting scammed is the man’s chance at finding happiness and building a family.

His life is literally being stolen from him. The real tragedy is the collateral damage.

By scamming this man, the agency is keeping him from meeting a nice Ukrainian lady. The agency is also stealing the ladies’ future and happiness. If the lady has children, they are stealing the chance of the lady having a father and a happy family.

Lastly, because people are not finding each other, children that would have been born from the resulting happy family are never being created!

That is precisely why I started my agency almost 10 years ago. I was being scammed A to Z and saw men getting scammed around me. I have created a real agency with real ladies.

The fact is, real Ukrainian women write terrible boring letters without openly and loudly professing their immediate love for you. Why? Because they are REAL.

My wife Alla and I have dedicated our lives to helping men and women just like Roger. I am proud to say we have hundreds of happy couples and many new babies born!

The problem is really with the men. For the life of me, I do not understand why men go to agencies that advertise “hot sexy nude Ukrainian models for dating” in the company’s title.

And then the men don’t understand why they were scammed. Men constantly see banner ads on the Internet with bikini clad women with their body parts hanging out and click on the banner!

The men choose these half-nude models and receive letters such as: “I don’t care how you look, how old you are, or what race you are but in fact when I look in your eyes I am already falling in love with you! Oh, did I tell you I have a sick grandmother that needs an expensive operation?”

The agencies write letters pretending to be the ladies. If you don’t believe it, just do an Internet employment search and you will see marriage agencies advertising for such employees!

The fact is, real Ukrainian women write terrible boring letters without openly and loudly professing their immediate love for you. Why? Because they are REAL.

With all the foreign men coming here, it is hard to believe that 50 percent of the ladies in my agency will NEVER meet a foreign man through my agency. In fact, the number one reason why they ask to have their profiles removed is nothing happens and they are uncomfortable to have their profile on the Internet.

Almost all of the male clients who use my agency are successful but that is just a handful of men a month. Unfortunately, the odds are against the average lady finding a foreign husband.

That is precisely why I am shocked that more men do not choose my help, but instead choose the path to be scammed. Again, these men really don’t have an excuse.


With all the foreign men coming here, it is hard to believe that 50 percent of the ladies in my agency will NEVER meet a foreign man through my agency. In fact, the number one reason why they ask to have their profiles removed is nothing happens and they are uncomfortable to have their profile on the Internet.

If you Google “marriage agency” my site is usually in the top three. Men can easily find my help, but can’t help but click on the photo of the nearly naked woman who already loves them!

The vast majority of Ukrainians are kind people who work hard and would do anything to help a foreign guest to Ukraine. The problem is not with this 98 percent who are honest people, but with the 2 percent who are looking to take advantage of foreigners and think it is great to steal from them.

I am proud to call Ukraine my new chosen home. Ukraine has been VERY good to me. I have a wonderful wife who loves and appreciates me for who I am.

It is literally impossible to write with mere words how fantastic my wife is. She is literally my everything and six months ago gave me the gift of a Ukrainian daughter.

I feel for Wright, but I personally know that the vast majority of Ukrainian women are good and kind just like the Ukrainian people and should not be judged by the very few who want to take advantage of foreign men.

Brett Ousley is the American owner of the Kiev Connections (http://www.kievconnections.com) marriage agency.