Further proof that the Internet is not just for wasting time

You may have heard me drone on about how cool Ask MetaFilter is, and this question is a perfect example of just how cool it can be sometimes. The short version of the story is that a guy who used to teach in Russia was contacted by a former student who is from Russia and here on a J1 Visa. She and a friend were essentially stranded in D.C. after being told there were jobs for them there. The "jobs" fell through and they were told they had to meet another potential boss in a bar in Brighton Beach (New York City) at midnight. The asker and lots of others felt this was a set up for them to be trafficked. The asker was on the road and not really able to physically step in and help them, but he got lots of offers of assistance. There is a parallel thread here that talks about the original thread.