Filipina Scams: The K1 Visa Scam – Philippines


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Author: Reekay V.

Since 2012 I’ve been traveling through various islands of the Philippines as a full-time Expat and spent 1999 living in Vietnam.

Share with me my ongoing adventures of life in the Philippines. Hopefully you find my observations helpful in your own adventures.
— Reekay

120 comments

  1. I agree. Well informed. That’s the easiest and common scam to do. The other are charity organizations. Feed the poor or food for the street children. Great insights.

  2. I have met women here that meet a man online and are “in love” in a week. The truth is, I think they really believe it. The guy they meet turns into this illusion that they can vividly describe. His mood, his feeling, how badly he wants with them to help them in life, but it is all created in the mind.

  3. Thanks. If you know anyone on Facebook that could use it, or Expat groups, feel free to share. 🙂

  4. I’ve thought about that, and have encountered it so many times here. I think they confuse ‘hope’ with ‘love’ right from the get-go. They have all these feelings of hope that it’s the beginning of a new life for them.. and, understandably, mistake that for love. They want to believe it’s all going to work out. That’s the honest ones. The scammers, they claim they’re in love to get that momentum going, blind the expat’s better judgment.

  5. I once met a Filipina for about 30 minutes, for lunch. I then met her at the end of the day because she wanted to talk some more. The very next morning she was texting me that she was all ready to move in with me. Huh?? She even had arranged for her daughter to live with the grandmother so we could prepare for our wedding. What wedding??? I swear, sometimes the eagerness/desperation is just way off the charts, even for a Filipina. This is why I don’t let them know where I live.

  6. The K1 visa needs to be initiated by the US citizen and costs a couple hundred dollars. To file the K1 visa, you must have met in person within the last two years and show proof. Then it takes like 6 months to be approved and the petitioner to get notified. If the girl has made it that far, there is a chance its genuine. So if someone sends money to the girl abroad as the first step, they’ve done zero research into the process.

  7. Absolutely. It’s only ‘real’ when face to face. As you pointed out, often the ‘woman’ is just some guy who stole photos from some girl’s facebook account.

  8. You are correct. And that’s who these girls are targeting, retired guys desperate for a young girl who have not done their research, who know nothing of the immigration requirements. They only know some pretty girl is promising them their fantasies and next thing you know, they’re wiring money for the girl’s payday.

  9. It has been my practice since high school not to bring ladies in the house, nor give them my addresses or contact number. Now after 30 yrs and now in the US, still doing the same practice. I’m single and I promise my dad 12 grandsons and not a single one. My dad is celebrating his 87th birthday today. The cause and effect of my practice. Maybe I got someone pregnant or I got a kid/s. They don’t know how to find me. If ever, I hope there in good hands.

  10. I met a girl online a few weeks ago, very pretty. She chatted to me, did you hear the news, I already hear about the army fighting the muslins and people were trying to leave town. Anyway she want money to leave town. Immediately logged off and deleted her from my ym In fact I uninstalled my ym and I will reinstall when I move to Cebu.

  11. Wow.. that’s a sobering thought. It’d drive me nuts not knowing if I had kids somewhere ‘out there’. I got a vasectomy over 20 years ago, no babies since then.

  12. An important point that you may want to do a video on is simply running whatever scam on multiple people at the same time. Do the Math…If she makes 1000 pesos per week from (any) one guy, thats 52,000 Peso/ year (about 1300 USD) but if she does the “round robin” with 5 guys, thats 6500 USD/year. The average person earns less that 3.00 per day and minimum wage is 8.00 per day. 8.00 x 365 = 3000 USD (7 day work week). It adds up quickly into a nice living !

  13. You are correct. I briefly mentioned it with the ‘Loan & Load’ scam how they will ‘work’ several Expats at once for a bigger payday. The incentive is huge for these scammer-girls and they will LIE like you can’t believe. I know one girl, she’s getting money from three guys overseas so, when she would go out with me.. she never asked me for a dime. Meanwhile, she’s got jewelry, nice phone, spending money, and those 3 guys each think she’s just home doing laundry while she’s actually out with me.

  14. You are a brave guy i chickened out numerous times .. just lucky i don’t have any so far..

  15. Henry …this could have happened to you at a CW bar after a Taylor Swift song in Lubock Texas j/k

  16. You have to be an idiot to fall for this scam. Getting a K-1 involves several trips photos, proof of a real relationship etc..Some of your videos are pretty informative but this one was for the real suckers, what was it that P.T. Barnum said? There is a sucker born every minute?

  17. I agree, and sad to say while this is old news to experienced expats or even anyone vaguely familiar with immigration requirements. But guys who pop onto the filipina dating sites and suddenly find themselves talking to a 20 year old hottie still end up wiring money over like their brain dropped outta their head. Happens way too often.

  18. I’d like to thank you, this is a GREAT public service. You speak the truth, and you do it with sincerity and without rancor.

  19. LOL very very true.  If they only do their homework. You have to go to the P.I
    once in a two year period to see her, before they’ll consider a K1.

  20. I guess I am one of the success stories. I met a Filipina through a dating service back in 2006, We communicated with her via letters, skype and emails for over 4 and a half years, and during time, she never once asked for a dime of my money. she was working and refused to let me send her anything. Then in 2011 I flew over there, spent several months there with her and then we were married. During the time awaiting her Visa, she still never asked for money, although I did send some, but we have been married now for 2 1/2 years, and it has been the happiest time of my life. So yeah, I guess I am one of the lucky ones.

    1. Two and a half years of marriage is still way too early to be a success story. Come back after 10, 15 or 20 years and see what it is. American divorce laws give women many financial incentives to initiate a divorce once the passion has come and gone.

  21. just FYI  K1 visa will not be approve if the guy never visit you ever ,because embassy ask for proof of relationship like photos together. And its the guy who need to file it in the US embassy,

  22. hey , sorry I think most of your info on this video is not to good , I chatted with Filipinas for over 6 year on the dating sites and after 5 years traveled to manila and met and married a Filipina , we now live in the usa , we chatted for 4 years and this woman never asked for money

    1. reekay , thank you for your very respectful replies , good luck to you always , and thanks for all your videos , I still disagree with how you constructed this video but I understand you are trying to help people and really respect the effort

    2. Actually, that fits in exactly with what I tell people.. to take their time and beware of filipinas who do ask for money.

  23. oh I am 56 and she is 36 , great woman best decision I ever made , anyway I do enjoy most of your videos , but I think on this one you really dropped the ball

    1. It’s good that things worked out.. in your particular case.   But far too many men I’ve spoken with and hear from via email have been victims of these and other scams.  I did not drop the ball on anything.  I mentioned in another post that you spent 4 years getting to know your wife before getting married.  That is my advice as well.  It is those who rush into online romances who are most susceptible to being scammed.  For this reason I warn them of the dangers involved.

  24. Good info for the uninformed, unaware foreigner. For Americans: all K1 visa apps start in the US. When I was looking my friend gave me some of the same advice. One very important bit of advice was, if they ask for money in the first few weeks, move on.
    2. You MUST visit the girl in the Philippines before a k1 is approved.
    3. If you get to the point of sending money, DON”T think in $. Think in Peso.  What you think is an average/modest amount in dollars will be a windfall in Philippines.
    Thanks for the videos.

    1. It’s still less expensive if the ask you for remittance right off than a couple of years later take the whole saving’s account..   she will do it .. 

  25. Hello. I enjoy watching your vids. Just a quick comment on this topic. A couple cannot apply for a K1 visa until they have met in person.

  26. I know this does not have anything to do with the video, but I have done a little research and it is difficult for a American to marry a Filipino…at least it is when both are in the Phls….and even if you marry her, she is still not a US citizen and still may not be allowed in the USA…at least according to the US Embassy in Manila, even though it is difficult for me to believe that….

    1. Well, maybe the Pinays like being submissive…maybe it is their nature…moving them to the US they will learn that is not part of the US culture…that’s why I want to move and live in the phls…

    2. A man looses his power over them in the US
      Money+power = good sex
      There ( in PI ) they think yr rich ..

    3. I think the secret is that if you marry a Pinay..make sure she does not get Americanized…lol…once they get Americanized..it’s all over…LOL….

    4. for a Philippina over 40s it’s food, gambling in Vegas ..of course shopping for relatives
      a taking nice a nap ..  yes sex at 20s..    

    5. lol..  she will not let you do a lot of things..
      Just be sure to take of your shoes and enjoy the food ..   

  27. This guy does not know anything about the K1 visa process. You must meet the lady first before the process can begin.

    1. just to reiterate.. if you’d paid attention, this video is NOT a tutorial on the K1 process.  the series of events i layed out are the Scam that some filipinas put forth.  they don’t tell the expat that he has to meet them first.  they want him to think he just needs to send money and she will be on her way.

    2. @ExtremeRecluse This is true.  But filipina scammers know that not all men on the net know this, and use that ignorance to their own advantage.  Is best to always verify a story before sending any money.

  28. A scammer will ask for money for a variety of reasons online and most guys are so stupid that they will fall into the trap. No K1 visa process required.

  29. My recommendation; find a hot lady with a kid or two. They are looking for a partner who can take care of them permanently. They are sick of just surviving and are desperate to find someone. They are much more serious and responsible than a single  Filipina. Stay away from ladies from Manila!!!! go south past Iloilo probably to Mindanao. If you want stability do what I say.

    1. Why get a mom just find an average single girl and get her pregnant she will settle down quickly once she has a baby. Just don’t get a girl that goes to bars.

    2. @ExtremeRecluse There are SO many good, honest, hard working single Moms here.. who would love to have a good relationship.  But.. don’t confuse them with the party-girls who barely work and have 3 kids stashed at their parent’s house.  It’s the working single Moms who, in my opinion, are making the effort.  If you find a single Mom at a bar, I’d suggest look elsewhere for a real relationship.

  30. i had them fall in love in the first 30 seconds of our conversations hehehehehehei just blow them offf like on facebook and myspace

  31. Henry,  you know every scam that exist there,  and i been scammed for about 5 hundred,,,  so i know what you mean,,they seem to have a script for all kinds of scenarios,,,, im telling you they are great actresses, ,,,, i agree with you with the websites, ,, dont meet anyone there,,,, they lie like crazy,,,,,,,and they have fake pics etc,,   i have seen it all , just the same way you are stating it ,,,,,,, incredible,,,,,,,, they are liars like crazy there,,

  32. hey Reekay , i just watched your video again , and you were right with your comments back to me , i missed most of what you said the first time i watched it , thank you for all your vids , my wife Irene and i watch often , still together and things are getting better by the day

  33. PERFECT information! How true this is!!! WOW!  I was PARTLY sucked into this but THANK THE LORD I got out of it!!

  34. Too true my friends. You can be taken in a big way. But they are not all bad. My wife is Philippina and have been together (Very happily married/living together since 1992) Eat your stupid hearts out suckers

  35. All your vids are excellent. Thank you very much for presenting this information. I am fortunate with my lady. 🙂

  36. Is there a way to pay all the fees yourself instead of sending her the money????

    1. +William Dean The same goes for airplane tickets if you suspect her to be a scammer tell her that you will purchase the airplane ticket for her and then send it to her by the mail. A real person would not mind that but that is the last thing that scammer wants

    2. @gymratatouille​ Maybe he was exposing the exaggerated expenses a crooked fiance would give? That’s my impression at least. That being said really good info thank you kindly. 

    3. they all need money when you arrive there step off the plane yo will clearly see that ..the question is you have to decide is if she wants you for your money or because she just  needs money that’s why you go there and meet them and not online

    4. @William Dean  I suggest you read up on K1 visas and the process.  It will help you understand what this scam is all about.  In any case, I would run from any lady that asks for money.  A decent lady will never ask you for money.  That right there is a big red flag.

  37. don’t waiste time with them online or sending them money just go there and find one its so much easier and will save you a lot of  money and headaches trust me I been there 8 times myself am married to one and have a 3 year old child with her and everything hes telling you is 100% correct as far as a visa for her go there and marry her there its cheaper and at least you have the security of know her and what shes about if you don’t know and learn the culture there you will get burned be smart

  38. I,ve had 2 relationships with 2 different filipinas.I probably made every mistake a foreigner can make.The first i met online and after a week i bought her a computer..Then shortly after the talk turned to bringing her and baby to Canada. Of coarse the money just flowed out of my pocket for anything and everything and i was captivated by her. I was getting ready to travel there when i was contacted by another girl from her town.This girl said she felt sorry for me after seeing the other girl bragging about what she was getting.In fact she learned about me and my email when she ws invited to a party her friend was throwing at her new house she was building with my money. I asked whats up and after a bit she admitted to everything and said her husband had put her up to it.I dropped her immediately but was several thousand dollars light. The second girl was also found online and i was anxious to meet a filipina face to face. I started planning a trip and in 7 months i was in cebu. Thankfully i had taken the time to befriend an American i had seen online posting videos.This guy just happened to live 20 miles from my girl. When i got there my new girl barely knew any english and one thing led to another and i found myself engaged and paying for the bill.I loved the people i met and really think filipias are the greatest girls.I met my American friend and he was so helpful teaching me little ins and outs and the perfect atm.I went places and toured tourist spots but always had a friend of my girl with us to translate. After 21 days i was on my plane going home and stunned that i was engaged. I actually continued the relationship another 2 years trying to figure out how to make it work. Then 1 day with my bank account dwindling and my heart still not ready, i broke off the relationship and stopped the money drain.Please, before you call me an idiot, i really feel good about helping 2 very poor ladies.After watching many very informative videos from Life Beyond the Sea and My Philippine Dreams i have learned so much .I really have no regrets of losing the money as some very poor people had a definite boost in life even temporarily.My biggest regret is that im still alone and lost 7 important years.I had a heart attack in the last 2 years and dont know if i can ever make it there to meet my special filipina. If i can,t, both Reekay and Ned are living my dream and i thank them both so much for sharing their adventures.Special thanks goes to Lyn and Michelle, 2 super filipinas.

    1. In fell for this girl age 30 big age gap for me she the only and last one of she a scammer. I do sponser her like a serious thing . But am I in a engagement scam dont know yet it been over a year video chat I go see her soon there wont be a second scam for me I’m done the risk is to high for them. Thousand of dollars to get them here I not started that except first trip there required for visa things

    2. LifeBeyondTheSea – Philippines I don’t know your name sir, but you have helped so many American men, in the pursuit of finding a Filipino wife. I have been talking to for Filipino ladies three of them are asking costly for money, one of them has a job and doesn’t ask for anything. I’m going to Manila in about two years to find this girl, I think this is the one for me. Thank you so much for your videos and the information that you give to the American man, who is looking forThe love of his life. Thank you so very much. Michael G.

    3. @suggestmenot100 it can be a rough road, finding the right mate. lots of predators out there. sorry to hear you had such a tough time of it. 🙁

  39. One of the requirements for a K 1 visa is that the couple must have met in person and prove it.  Which means the guy must have visited the filipina in the Philippines….

    1. +Robert Flinn Yeah you are right, but the guys in this case didn't know that. The scammers never filed for the visa, they just took the money.

  40. I am surprised that you have not talked about the classes a Filipino woman has to take before their immigration allow them to travel outside the country. It happened to me when I was travelling with my girlfriend and cost me thousands of dollars in missed flights and hotel expences.
    They have a list of documents you need to orovide before she can travel and they are not easy documents to provide. Typical irresponsible behavior of a 3rd. world country. They do not inform the women ahead of time about this requirement when they apply for a passport.

  41. There are one scam that female scammers from the Czech Republic and the Ukraine are pulling they will take off as soon as they have gotten their resident permit or citizenship

  42. Hey is still happening and won’t stop..but kind of reduce a bit so the guys have to be smart up and no to fall on any Scams

  43. family first money second suckers third i generalized yes after 18 years traveling around Philippines sadly I haven’t found one Filapina thats been honest with me sadly but true do your homework

  44. Exactly, but Beaver Fever overrides the ability to perceive and process obvious indicators and visions of the Dream Girl from the village of “Long Con”

  45. I can’t believe people can be this stupid, all you have to do is research K1 visa and you know it’s impossible to get it unless you ha e actually visited that person and present evidence. How can people be this stupid. I had one girl try to pull a new version of this, she said she had green card but her USA husband had abandoned her in the Phills and if only I paid for her ticket bla bla bla, I played along for the hell of it till I got bored lol…..

  46. This Filipina I met on meetme.com already want me to save up money to get her K1 visa so she can come visit me.

  47. I met a phillipines on hit me an the third day she asking me for money say her father sick an in the hospital when I told her I didn’t have any cash at the moment she block me

    1. they block you when you don’t give anything so you can’t report them to FB or your friends.

  48. Canada Work Permit
    Fraud “One day l was searching for jobs and in searching l found the already
    posited jobs by her (May Claire Luyun). she told me that to process my canadian
    visa they should be some commitment which l accepted to give out. She told me
    that as soon as am done with sending money,it will also take few days to arrive
    in canada for work.” Dean Malcom was Scammed out of $2,650.00 by May Claire
    Luyun, a Filipina Hooker and Scammer living in Toronto, Ontario. Canadian Work
    Visa, called an Open Permit was offered for sale Ms. May Claire Luyun fraudulently
    offering for sale online a Canadian Government immigration documents to enter
    Canada to work. Do not give May Claire Luyun any money. Fraud Warning!

  49. i lost my hole life over there from 2007 up to know , i believe a guy come here to US stole my bike killed , suckered me nearly 50,000.00 and coast me my job , nearly took my life basically ……
    i believe they have something agiants doing something they cant , idk …..
    but i’ll never do again …..
    50,000.00$ waisted on nothing ….
    my hole life thrown away ……

  50. If anyone falls for that bullshit without going to Manila then they get exactly what they deserve.

  51. I am 23 and met one off of a internet dating website after talking to dozens of different women. We have been talking for 4 months now, she has never asked for money or told me a sob story or told me that she loves. She has sent me pictures of her passport and we have video chatted. I plan on flying over there for 2 weeks to meet her, how can I avoid being scammed?? Should I hire a Private Investigator?

    1. Very easy to find out. Make her wait. Tell her you need at least 2 years of communication before you would consider anything beyond friendship. I would also make plans to see her on 3 different occasions. If after that time she is still the woman you believe she is, then you probably have a legit woman.

  52. lol… this is good advice… be careful… but… i met a lady from the Philippines on facebook… younger than me by 12 years… very sweet very kind… never made any promises… i talk to her family… her sisters… some friends… she’s very proud… never asks me for anything… always tells me to just save to move there… we did fall in love pretty quickly… but shes never asked me for anything or promised me anything…. so i guess what im saying is while you should be careful… dont let videos like this scare you away from finding love… just use common sense… they run the same scams on men in the u.s. face to face… trying bleed suckers dry… all of the warning signs are the same… so watch for them

  53. I have lived in the Philippines and am married to a Filipina so I know the culture. I would advise all men to be extremely careful.

  54. First 3 days iv had it after a day amazing wat they will say haa!!! They never waste time or mince words

  55. so true, teasing with images, youtube love songs, picutres of her in wedding dress, showing naughty things, if she feel you dont trust her she might even setup a single account for you both alone and give you the password…. I have seen it all

  56. …indeed its happening in the philippines but its only a very small percentage who had experience that mostly the one whose practicing that is usually the poor one coz thete mindset is to take some money coz they think foreigners exploiting them coz they are poor so why use their money to get even …you exploite me ill abuse you

  57. Enjoy your videos. I guess I’m one of the lucky ones. I have a very good Filipina wife and we have been married now for almost 12 years

  58. I have been through the K1 visa process and I very happy to have my Filipina and her two daughters here with me in the US. The details of the scam you talk about don’t make any sense when compared to how the K1 visa process actually works. First, the forms are filled out by the US citizen and status of the visa process is sent to him. Second, you have to have proof of meeting in person before the visa can be submitted. The amount of evidence you need to submit the K1 is not trivial. This includes a sworn statement that you intend to get married.. This whole video just has a lot of holes…

  59. Looks like after 2yrs on net with one Mila there I got with a true heart, i e., “there are some successes”. First year I was skeptical sometimes, but even though 7000 miles away she always could prove her sincerity, even my 12 day visit last Feb there proved she be a proper heart, and we thus far did a church marriage (legalizing it is another morass of a story, hahaha) and we feel good for each other. Yeah, “soulmates” and all those cliche things to say kano, ignoring all that, their actions by the better ones can prove it out, albeit 7000 miles away. Maybe the upper ages are more inclined to do the heartfelt correct thing than younger pinays overcome in mind by “kano opportunities”.
    She’s 61, I’m 68.

  60. the guy needs to fill out the visa first after being with her in person. there has to be pictures of the two being together on dates . then you do the how you meet. if it was a dating site then there is the page on the visa application for third party to fill out . so if a guy falls for that then shame on him . i did with a Nigerian girl . lesson learned all information is on web site .government site free

  61. Hello fellow subscribers. It’s great to see a lot of true love stories come out. But it’s also good that people are aware that it does happen where people will try to scam you for money. I was one of those guys who went on a dating website and was getting an average of 150 messages a day. The majority of the ones I did respond to had some sort of story about a sick relative or something to pull on your heart strings to send them money. I know there are many beautiful honest and wonderful Filipinas out there I just wasn’t lucky enough to meet one when I was on that dating site.

  62. This is all too true. Happened twice to me so far. Please note that just because you’ve met her in person or even met her family doesn’t mean she’s not going to scam you. I met a stunning young Filipina on my last trip and spent week getting to know her. About 1 month after returning to the US she asked for 15k php to help her family. Being an lovestruck idiot, I sent it. She immediately stopped communicating.

    Another Filipina I hadn’t met in person tried something similar. We chatted for a few months before she came at me with the sick mom story. I politely told her I don’t want to involve money with friendship and that I’m blocked from using western union until my previous fraud case is resolved. That was it for her.

    My advice: beat them to the punch line. Ask her jokingly if she’ll send you money for load. Some will be offended but most will think it’s funny and will get the point that you know how the game works.

  63. Reekay..one question. ..what I s your monthly income. Trying to plan my future retirement and it seems like you have a pretty good grip on things. I figure I will have 1800 US dollars per month to live off of. It could possibly be $2,800 per month. What do you consider a safe nest egg… you know money set aside not part of the budget. I enjoy your Vlogs very much hope to hear from you thank you.

    1. @Reekay’s LifeBeyondTheSea
      Thx boss….6 years till retirement. I will have 1800 a month between SSI and a pension..maybe 70 k in savings. I am single… and had a vasectomy. Thank you for taking the time to respond to me I appreciate it. Thx Wally

    2. as a single-guy, even living in a decent condo in Cebu (uptown)… even $1300usd is plenty for a comfortable lifestyle.. dining out and a bit of travel locally. so $1800usd/month.. you can live just about anywhere in the PH. (makati or boracay would likely require more.) having at least $3,000usd for emergency medical expenses or travel is a good idea.

  64. been talking to a pilipino for a month keeps saying she loves me and miss me ask me to go and see her, then she says she wants to marry me.and since then shes ask me to help her with her store and ask me for 80 to 100k peso. is she a red flag and a scammer. great video help me think alot liked and subscribed.

    1. 100k pesos is almost $1,900usd. please tell me you did not send her any money. you’ve never met her in person, know nothing about her and for that much money she could build and stock 2 sari-sari stores. send nothing, block her and move on. a good woman would not be acting like this.

  65. They tell me to get a Girl from a province country girl an watch the age gap 55 maybe a 40 yr old

  66. as always Thumbs up. The K1 visa is for retards. Must be better scams than that ! You only need 80 IQ to figure out that to fly there WILL COST YOU LESS and you chose between 100 not 1. I think the problem is : We Caucasians want the Filipina here in our westernized countries , we are lazy to fly there . It is like fucking 18 hours from Europe. I admit , I was scammed 3 times but maybe $150 total max. Pocket money , but because of guys like you (thank you again) I became an “expert” now .

  67. The lie went on for years with me I kept sending money for health problems embassy interview and more only to find out later I was introduced to her brother boyfriend and they pocketed the money.

  68. Mine said she had left her husband ten years ago. She referred to him as her ex husband. NO! Even though she did indeed leave him ten years ago, there is no divorce in the Philippines. There is an annulment, but it will cost you $$$$ like you would not believe. There are a thousand steps involved in an annulment and every one cost money, a ‘tip’, a fee, whatever. It NEVER ends. You can’t get a fiance visa unless you both can prove you’re legally single. So it might take one to two years to get her annulment and thousands of dollars, then you start the process of the fiance visa. You have to pay and wait twice.

  69. You have saved me too many problems with Filipino girls. I was in serious contact with a lady, but eventually I realized that I was being fooled. But it was only after watching videos from you. So, many thanks. Hope I can invite you to dinner if I come to the Philippines. A Norwegian guy.

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