A word of caution for female tourists visiting Egypt: be careful of the many of the men working in tourist areas in Egypt.
Although the vast majority of Egyptians have a high sense of honor and good conduct, it seems that tourist areas seem to attract a relatively high concentration of people with lax morals, who would exploit tourists in many ways. It can manifest itself as persistent aggressive begging, peddling cheap goods, charging 10X the normal prices for services and goods, and what this article focuses on: exploiting female tourists.
Looking at the bulk of the comments on my notes on compulsory army service in egypt they are mostly from non-Egyptian women who married (or intend to marry) an Egyptian man, and army service has become an obstacle.
So, once you here the word "habibti" (meaning "my love" in Arabic), and before you call him "Habibi", let alone go down the marriage route, read on below for more information.
The exploitation happens in many forms, but is normally centered around one of the following:
Easy and Free Sex
Many tourists come from countries where sex is more freely practiced outside of marriage. Youn g Egyptian men working in tourist areas who
are not married see this as an opportunity, and are met with acceptance from the female tourists.
A source for Money
Many Egyptian men who practice this scam view the "wealthy" tourist as a source of income. They keep asking their "girl friend", "fiance" or "wife" for money for various excuses, just like a professional scammer would play a confidence game on a victim.
An Opporunity for Immigration
Some of those men want to get out of Egypt, and see their marriage as a way to gain residence and citizenship in a Western country. The economy in Egypt has been stagnant for decades, and poverty, lack of opportunity and the high cost of marriage lures some youth to trying these tricks.
Why it works?
There are several factors that work in favor of the Egyptian scammers here.
One factor that helps is that most Egyptian men look desirable to Western women, being of darker complexion than their compatriots. The fact that the foreigners are white blonds work in making the women attractive and desirable for Egyptian men.
Another factor is that the woman is coming to the tourist place to have a good time. It may be a break from stressful work or study, or perhaps a past relationship. This helps blind her to what is happening.
Yet another factor is the cultural differences which also create temporary blindness.
Moreover, those workers being away from their village or city of origin, where they would be observed by their extended family and friends tend to make it easier for them to engage in sexual relationships and scams without being scrutinized by acquaintenaces, and no stigma is attached to these behaviors.
Finally, the scammers have perfected their techniques over the years, and are very skillful at what they do.
Blacklists
Blacklists have emerged on the internet, to warn potential female tourists from known exploiters. These have all the faults of user contributed content on the internet in that they can be innacurate, biased, or even rigged by rivals or pranksters. However, in the absence of any other information, they can be useful, provided they are taken with a good deal of skepticism and research and common sense applied.
- An overview article on what a "black list" is, at Arabia.pl.
- Dezy House: Blacklist for Hurghada, in English.
- Dezy House: Blacklist for Sharm El Sheikh, in English.
- Wanted List of Egypt.
- Egyptian Blacklist on Topix.
- KunstKamera blacklist.
Happens everywhere, not only Egypt
Before someone gets the impression that Egypt is a cesspool, and Egyptians are crooks, let me say it is neither.
The problem above is not limited to Egypt by any means. Any country where tourists come in to spend money has its share of exploiters. The above black lists have a Turkish one, and a Tunisian one, and there are lots of stories about French, Italian and Spanish men exploiting women tourists as well.
Of course, there is also the Russian bride fraud targeting well to do men in the West.
So, the problem is universal, although this article focuses on female tourists to Egypt.
Final Thoughts
There are many non-Egyptian women married to Egyptian men happily, so over-generalizing from the cases mentioned, or from workers at tourist resort is wrong. Chances are you will be happy with an Egyptian as a husband if you met him in a more natural settings, e.g. while studying or working, and getting to meet his family as well.
The "artificial" environment in resorts, being on holiday, and surrounded by some scammers lend itself to the disasters described.
So, beware ...
Further Reading
- Marwa Rakha: Relationship Warning: Do not get involved with Egyptian Men (also here).
- Global Voices: "Beware of Egyptian Men" says Canadian Embassy, also by Marwa Rakha.
- Trailing Grouse: Egyptian men marrying women for money.
- Yahoo Answers: Egyptian Men marrying foreign women to get out from Egypt.
- Sex, Sun, Stupidity and Gigolos.
- Amy Robson: n English girl who keeps falling in false love with Egyptian men (she finally returned to Britain).
- Someone searching on KunstKamera: for Honest Egyptian Boys?
- List if sites on Romance Fraud in German, and other languages.
- A movie documentary in the making on holiday romance, specially Hurghada.
- Female Sex Tourism on Wikipedia, has lots of links to extensive articles. While Turkey is listed as a major destination, Egypt, Tunisia, and Morocco are listed as "minor destinations".
- An article from a Canadian perspective: Sex tourism in full boom. Jamaica, Barbados, Dominican Republic and the Caribbean are the major destination for Canadian women.
Comments
Anonymous (not verified)
I have been living in Luxor
Fri, 2013/04/19 - 10:35I have been living in Luxor for three years and have met many Egyptian men,my advice to you is, DON'T BELIEVE ANYTHING THEY TELL YOU.They will tell you anything to relieve you of your money.I know so many women who have lost everything they own because these men flatter them,telling them they love them.It's all lies,don't be fooled.'STAY AWAY FROM EGYPTIAN MEN'. A WELL WISHER.
Anonymous (not verified)
Hi Anonymous, Do you know any
Sat, 2013/04/20 - 02:38Hi Anonymous,
Do you know any of these men, and could share their names/hotels, so women will know what to look for?
lynn (not verified)
quick update
Wed, 2012/05/16 - 09:27Quick update here ,my mum is so stupid ,she has been given evidence of tito cheating on her but she doesnt believe it ,she only believes what he tells her .He has brainwashed her ,this next bit im going to tell you is unbelievable,he went back to egypt for 6 month last year ,while he was there he divorced her ,he divorced her because he now has british citizenship also he could not claim benefits while he was married to my mum because she works ,so he divorced her so he can claim benefits in england ,he also has his own flat where he is most of the time,he just goes and sees my mum now and again,she is at work all the time so he is now just stringing my mum along ,what he is doing is claiming benfits and working and sponging of my mum at the same time,my mum says it doesnt matter if he has divorced her because he still loves her,she is so stupid its unbeleivable ,before she met him she had everything,now she got nothing he has took it all ,she is now in big debt,i cant believe he can just divorce her once he has citizenship,its so brazen.I mean he done it as soon as he got his passport,surely someone at imagration can see what he has done,any way i have give her evidence .The girl herself told my mum they had a affair but she doesnt believe it.The girl descibed the inside of my mums place to her because tito took her there for sex while my mum was at work.My mum is deluded i need her to wake up .
Misha (not verified)
Yes it happens and worse
Wed, 2012/05/16 - 13:10A woman I met earlier this year met told me about her story - she fell in love with and married a Turkish guy (not just Egyptians). She brought him to the UK, to London and they were perfectly happy - everyone who knew them would have said that he loved her just as much as she did him. He was hard working and attentive. Then one day, he just didn't come home from work - she never actually saw him again - but she did realise eventually that it was two years to the day of his entry visa to the UK. She is now divorced and happily in a relationship with someone else - but obviously was devastated at the time.
Lynn, your mum must be getting something from the relationship - even if it is just relief from the prospect of being on her own and lonely? If she works so hard, then perhaps she has no time for her private life? Maybe a different approach would help rather than trying to make her see sense?
If she accepts what you say, it may be too humiliating for her to take onboard just now.
victim Daniela (not verified)
Egyptian Army officer-investigator Hazem Hussen Mohamad
Mon, 2012/05/21 - 09:22I am the sad heroine of the story "Warning to female tourists thinking of marrying Egyptians" that looks like your story. Mine is more ample than what been here revealed, and ended by selling my house to "rescue" him by of the military court and jail, to save their children, etc., and "help" him like this with over 15,000 euros; while I did a trip to Cairo and I lived in http://showmystreet.com/hwiu6_inbh1_j 2 months, still helping him with my last money, I never realized the deceit than when, broke and even to 105 kg baggage left to him, I came back home to my country and he "disappeared", sending me "news" by his friend Ahmed Karam Ahmad Kamel, that Secret/Intelligence Service "found" and punished him by imprisonment cause of the relationship with me; and it followed the overthrow of the regime, the revolution, etc.; captain or major Hazem Hussen Mohamad HUSSEN,living in (http://showmystreet.com/hwiu6_inbh1_j), 14 El-Tawfik City/Al-Taiaram (Nasr City) closer Majed, married, with 2 children, Jana and Yassin, criminologist/ humicide Army investigator in the Egyptian Army from Cairo, I suppose in Heliopolis, close the Military Academy; this investigator man changed his old car with a new one at 2 weeks after my return home, this time working with new naive women victims by Nordic countries, richer, happier and comforted now with my and my child money, who has built enrich by lying, cheating, and maybe he may already advanced according to the captain major; so, do not judge, people, better not trust, not be mercy in invented stories with sick children and dishonest Egyptian Army who was ready to destroy the future of somebody and to let the children away...do not transform into the savior of somebody like me, to loose almost everything, but especial the trust in other people; I am Daniela and I can be found at carmine.relinquo@yahoo.com. And, yes, I have proves for all I have pictures, notes and other evidences for all acusations on this Army officer.
Anyone will contact me?
Anonymous (not verified)
i waiting
Wed, 2012/05/23 - 06:30i looking for that
Wendy (not verified)
Operations
Fri, 2012/05/25 - 12:27Last night my boyfriend texted me to say that his dad was in hospital in Alexandria and had been all day and that he was scared his dad was going to die. When I got the message, I tried to call but he couldn't pick up. He texted me to say that they were waiting for the doctor to fly back to Egypt. This was at 5am EGY time. I got another text this morning to say that his father was on a life support machine and they were preparing for an operation that would cost a lot of money. He says his brothers are selling their wives' gold and even his cousin's german wife has even sent money from Germany. They have collected 7k but need another 6.5k. I am sure he is talking about UK pounds and not Egyptian. He and his mum have asked me to help. He didn't say yet what has happened to his dad, so I am not even sure what the operation is for although it must be serious if he is on life support. I don't know how much these things cost in Egypt but it just sounds a little unusual that a doctor would fly back from London to see his dad, and is 130k egyptian pounds reasonable for a major operation. I feel a little guilty for having questions in my head but I read that asking money for operations was a common way to get money out of foreigners. Advice please.
Almohamady (not verified)
Run, that is pretty much a
Fri, 2012/05/25 - 21:21Run, that is pretty much a basic scam that has been told here countless times ... Cut all ties and break free from that person..
The only way you could ever make sure that this is actually happening, is flying back there, going to the hospital, checking the hospital records for his fathers name and talking to his father's doctor, making sure that it's all actually happening and that he is actually having an operation there and how much it costs etc. Although I can assure you that non of it would be real so just save your time and money, walk away from this whole thing and never look back ..
Normal honest Egyptians turn to one's family and relatives or even close friends/neighbors in life/death situations, not a foreign girl their son knows, this whole situation has "scam" written all over it ..
Don't even try to contact him anymore, just break all ties, don't send a goodbye, say nothing, just get out of it like it never even happened..
However, please don't let this experience stop you from visiting Egypt as a tourist in the future, just stay away from those who work in the tourism business or lurk around tourist attraction areas, keep your entire relationship with them professional, they offer you a service, you pay them or their hotel/resort/etc for their service, that's it.
victim Daniela (not verified)
Is not any
Sat, 2012/05/26 - 08:21Is not any operation!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wendy (not verified)
Did you pay?
Sat, 2012/05/26 - 15:15I said that I didn't have any money to help as I had just paid my tax bill - just to buy me some time to think about it. He said that he knew I wouldn't believe him and that now he knows me for who I am. We have not spoken since yesterday, and reading your replies I won't be in contact with him again. Thank you.
Daniela - did you pay for an operation?
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