Super Confused

Submitted by Joanne (United States), Feb 22, 2014 at 14:01

I don't know if this is even the right place to post this, but as I was searching for my answers to my own questions, this webpage is what came up, so here goes. I have read "anon's" post, as well as almost all of the replies. I am perplexed. My story is the same in that I am a Christian woman, and it involves Middle Eastern men, but different in that it involves more than one man, six to be exact, none have asked me for money, and each has asked me to marry him and fly overseas, at HIS expense, not mine.

Each of us belongs to the same global interfaith charity organization, and most of the people I have met have been wonderful and I have been blessed to know them, especially the women.

At first I was wide eyed and thrilled to have met such a fantastic group of people who cared so deeply about the sufferings of others, and I was especially excited to see Middle Eastern men advocating for women. However, after 2 years, something strange has begun to happen, and now I am beginning to think that not all members of this group "mean well," and might be wolves in sheep's clothing.

Since January, I have been inundated with professions of love from 6 of them. Each claims they have fallen in love with me, and each has asked me to marry him. Just when I get seem to be rid of one, a day might go by and a new one emails me and claims he has "loved me from afar," and is now asking me to marry him, and "will I fly off into the sunset with him," literally.

At first I thought, "Money scam? Visa scam? Citizenship scam?" These are the common scams out there regarding international marriage offers, and I am aware of the ploys for each of them. However, none wants me to get THEM a visa or become a citizen of the USA. In fact, they have taken steps to get ME the visa, and air fare will be provided. All I have to do is "get on the plane and come."

Here were the exact words I was told via an email from one of the gentlemen. "Your visa will be ready at the border. When you arrive, give them my name, I will be there to let you across. I will then change your visa from tourist to permanent. Don't worry about expenses when you get here. You will be my wife."

One man, a Saudi, became so incensed when I told him "I'm honored, but no thank you," and told me he'd come here to get me if I didn't agree, and then went as far as having other people contact me to "discuss the arrangements of my arrival to Saudi." OK? Really? HE still contacts me.

Yet another man, is trying to guilt me into marriage by saying that God has sanctioned it, and the only reason I would say "no," is because evil forces are causing me to do so. (lol, ok that one kinda makes me laugh.) Seriously? I have not encountered anything such as this mess. Who ARE these men?

I told my best girl friend all about it and she said, "International sex traffickers?" Oh wow. I hadn't even thought of that, so I looked it up, and apparently human trafficking throughout the world is second in profits only to drug trafficking. How awful, how sad.

I sincerely wonder, then, why this is not talked about more if this is the case, but putting that fact aside, I am now wondering, "Is this who they might be or is my friend being paranoid and they are just love sick middle eastern men that I need to be consistently firm with?" I need advise. Should I report them? I'd SURELY hate reporting innocent people as human traffickers. I am really very confused and I don't know what to do. Any advice?

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