90 Day Fiance: Before The 90 Days viewers are beyond convinced that Yolanda is being catfished by Williams. But she’s not alone.
Is David being catfished by Lana? If so, his situation is even worse.
Like Yolanda, David Murphey is a resident of Las Vegas, Nevada who found "love" online and overseas.
David has become infatuated with Lana (Svetlana).
The two of them have been talking for seven years.
Unfortunately, all three of David’s flights to Ukraine to meet her have resulted in him being stood up.
If you think that the cost of three roundtrip flights to Europe must have set him back, brace yourselves.
By his own estimation and admission, the 60-year-old has spent about $100,000 talking to "Lana" over the years.
That is a tremendous sum of money, even when you factor in the duration of this relationship.
In recent footage (and some follow-ups), it becomes clear how David spent so much just chatting with a woman.
Unlike some 90 Day Fiance stars whom we have seen in the past, it doesn’t look like David has been making direct financial transfers.
Instead, he has been making payments through the same third-party site on which he and Lana chat.
The site, designed specifically for Western men shopping for Russian (present or former) brides, charges money for on-site credits.
These credits can then be exchanged for gifts that allegedly go to the woman in question.
As with many price listings, it’s more efficient and cost-effective to make massive, bulk purchases of credits than to buy just a few.
People often cannot resist a "bargain" when one presents itself.
At the midpoint of pricing, one dollar buys two credits, but at that point, one must be dropping nearly $100 at once.
We can only guess at what sort of cut Lana is getting, but odds seem good that the site is raking in the bulk of the dough.
The "gift" options allegedly range from pizza delivery to a new laptop.
By our math, you’d be shelling out just over $60 to have a woman you’ve never met receive a pizza.
For $1,250, give or take, you can buy someone a "new laptop."
Folks, that kind of price will fetch someone a very good gaming laptop or a high-quality PC rig. But is that what they’ll receive? Doubtful.
If you want to look at a "gallery" of photos of users, such as Lana, that costs credits, too.
And it gets worse when it comes to David pouring his money and his feelings into this "romance."
The hard truth about Lana is that she’s on more than just this one site.
Yes — despite her 7-year "relationship" with David, she has a ton of profiles on website after website.
Interestingly, she also goes by a number of monikers, from Lanadate to Veronika Love.
Her bios are often copy-pasted between sites.
She gives very generic answers in terms of hobbies and personality, including an interest in clubbing and an interest in hiking and staying at home.
Lana emphasizes her willingness to ask for forgiveness when she’s wrong, which is exactly how you’d appeal to a rich older man with control issues.
Most of us might not feel sorry for a wealthy older man who’s been hoodwinked by an enterprising young woman.
But first of all, even though he began talking to Lana when she was allegedly 20, he doesn’t give off the predatory vibe to which these sites cater.
And in general, sex work and sex workers are 100% valid, but people should know what kind of relationship they have.
it doesn’t look like David truly understands — or is willing to admit to himself — the nature of his relationship with Lana. This is so sad.