Babysitting scam ??

Attention All - This person is still doing this - I am going to contact the local news anchor "Connect with Kleck" Channel 6 and request he broadcast this to educate all the child givers in the local area of Spokane, WA. My nanny just had this Elizabeth Palma contact her through CARE.COM!!!! She just received a check, but thought it was fishy because she's never met this person. Thank you to ScamWarners, we now know to contact the local police and hopefully the FBI will put a stop to these people.

Apparently they're still at it--Got a text from them on friday saying they found me on care.com--could've sworn I didn't have my phone on there, and I don't. My cell's still unverified on my profile, so they must've been posing as one of the parents on the applications that I responded to--that's the only place I give them my cell. The name that I was given was Kelly Eugene, first email she had me send resume/references to was [email protected], but the next one was [email protected]. Honestly, I didn't think much of it since I too kept the first half of my email address and just swapped it to gmail for my youtube account (plus an extra account for farmville wasn't so bad at that time too...)

So I emailed her back and got pretty much the same email that others have posted. It wasn't until we looked at today's email that it started to occur to us this might be a scam attempt. After reading the message (which I'll put at the bottom) my dad decided to do a google search for "wheelchair scams" and it eventually led him to here and another site. I will probably keep the check and the emails so that the police can have them, but I've stopped all conversation with her. One would think, that if someone warns you in their first email that they don't check it that often that you would communicate with them through another means, but the emails kept coming. I really need(ed) this job (or at least the pay!) too, but I'm glad that I didn't call edwards theaters to tell them that I already found work! Supposedly, I'll hear back from them on wed (hopefully with good news) so I'm keeping fingers crossed that it'll work out.

Hello [name removed by poster],
I received your message. We can meet in the McDonald on Los Alamos at 6.00PM the date is Sunday 11th of August.I hope this is a convenient time for you. I will appreciate you working for us as one family not just a caregiver. That increases the love and build a great partnership between us. I was able to finalized with the wheelchair seller. The wheel chair cost $2400. so I will be mailing your first week payment ($15/hr x 5hrs/day = $75 x 5days a week= $375) of $375 plus an additional deposit of $2400 to make a total of $2,775 on the check as soon as I hear back from you.The deposit goes to the wheelchair seller on delivery. I will send your address to the seller for the chair delivery so you can pay
on delivery as soon as the check clears.Kindly let me know if this is clear so I can proceed to mailing the check immediately.


Best Regards
Kelly

I'm being victim of the same scam. Well, my girl, actually. She got the same email by this Kelly Eugene ([email protected]) and at first it all seemed legit. She told her she had a 6 years old currently disabled son named Jason and needed us to receive the wheelchair for her since she was not living close by yet. Again, it was really detailed, seemed really legit. Then, she sent a picture, which made all more apparently real to us. 2 days later, I decided to run that photo on google images and it redirected me to Australian Newspapers and the photo was of a kid who motorbikes there, sort of famous.

To make a long story short, my girl received the check yesterday, for the same amount, same everything . We're a bit scared and would love some opinions on what to do. Before receiving the check, we told her that we moved during the weekend and after that, she wrote asking for the new address and that was it. So, we "confronted" her asking her to explain why she sent a fake photo. She replied saying she didn't understand that, asking for the new address and asking to let her know when we got the check so she could proceed to have the wheelchair delivered. We replied asking her to explain the fake photo and linked it to the news piece where we found it.
Then we got the check.
No answer from her so far.
Should we call the police, give it to them? rip it? burn it? Keep it as evidence in case the FBI (which I read is already involved) or the police come looking?
Are we in any sort of physical danger? Please, share more on how you proceeded and what happened afterwards, I really need help here.

Thank you all

You are not in danger. The scammer just wants you to deposit the check and send cash thru Western Union. The trick is: You are the only person responsible for items you deposit. After you send the money, the bank will call to let you know that the check was fake, and your account is now overdrawn. It is your money being stolen, not the bank's money. Obviously, don't deposit the check. Doesn't matter if you report this or not because nothing was stolen, yet. If you deposit that check, or cash it, you are in trouble, not the scammer.

You can mark the check VOID or destroy it. Whatever you like - just don't cash or deposit it.

Don't confront her with anything. Simply drop contact. Don't answer if she calls or emails. If you tell her how you found out she's a scammer, she'll just get better at scamming.

Thanks, guys, I appreciate it. Already dropped the contact and will destroy the check. I guess it'd all be good.
Again, Thank you all.

Cheers

I got the same text and emails that followed from a "Debra shockley" ([email protected]). The number she used to text me was a pinger (a free texting/calling app). I'm sure that the number will change, but when she contacted me the number was (706) 751-3607. What made me first think it was a scam was the fact that I couldn't find any information about her online.

Her initial text message said that she got my information from care.com and she needed a babysitter for her 6 year old son and asked me to email her with my reference's names and my resume. I thought this was a bit odd, but I figured that she got my contact information from care.com where I am a member and my phone number is visible to members (although when I got on care.com after I responded to her and looked at my stats it showed that no one had looked at my contact details recently). So I responded with my resume (minus my address and contact information) and told her I would send her my references after I verified her location and made sure that the hours would work for me (I didn't want to give out contact information for my references if the job wasn't going to work out).

Her email to me read:

Thank you for your response,I live in New York but we are moving to your area on 26th of FEB. I need a caregiver immediately between the hours of 8am through 1pm Monday to Friday. Do let me know if the time works. More importantly,My son is currently placed on a wheelchair due to an accident he had some times ago,he can actually walk a few distance though but the specialist advised he uses the chair for a while.The rate is $15/hour.He is 6yrs old and i really need an honest and responsible care for him.

This could be a temporary/permanent job.I am planning on getting him a powered wheelchair that can be fold so you won't have any problem moving around with the wheel chair if need arises to move it and its very portable so it won't take much space and i have already spoken to a buyer about getting the portable wheel chair.I will let you know as soon as we finalize issues.I will like you to send me your complete NAME, ADDRESS and CELL PHONE NUMBER. This could be a temporary/permanent job as I have mentioned earlier,it actually depends on what your schedule looks like but i do like to be sure if you are available the first month and I will like you to know a Lil about me.


I am a single mother never been married, 33years of age and have problem with hearing. I have lived in New York all my life but i am moving to your area in a few weeks. I have my own business(Self Employed) which is based on the development and counseling of the deaf people in the community.I am from a baptist family and I still practice that, You will get to know more when we meet.Kindly include in your email your PICTURE if you have one, your complete NAME, ADDRESS and CELL PHONE NUMBER in other for me to be able to text you in case I need to pass an urgent information.

Thanks
Deb

I told her that those hours would not work for me, to which she responded

will you be available from 4pm till 9pm?


I told her I would be and that my availability can be found on my care.com profile and I asked her what part of my city she would be moving to. I have yet to receive a response, but I will definitely be ceasing any further contact with her. I'm glad i found this thread!

She won't tell you what part of the city she's moving to because she's not moving from New York to anywhere. She is in Africa, as her writing shows. She claims to be hard of hearing because, if you talked with her on the phone, you could tell that she's not American.

oo that letter look so familiar. haas, but actually that was really uncomfortable...
How do you know she's from Africa? and how is she getting our phone numbers??? not ok. and has anyone contacted care.com about this???

does anyone here also have Sittercity as well? I gave a lady my phone number there and she hasn't called me yet, perhaps she's being clever ..
i don't know..

Welcome Rockydoo!

As to how the scammer got a number, the poster indicated that based on their settings, all members could see the phone number--so that is easily explained.


The English tells us the "she" (more likely really "he") is from Africa. While every non-native English speaker is likely to make mistakes, the types of mistakes and phrasing used are generally regional. An American's writing will be slightly different than that of a British author, while the writing if a Russian will be different than that of a German or that of an African author. In this case, certain mistakes, expressions, and ways of phrasing things tell us that this particular author is African.

Scammers sign up on ALL employment sites, social networking sites, dating sites, etc. they can find, for the sole purpose of finding victims for their scams. Some sites are better than others at identifying and removing scammers (and some basically make no effort to control them) but the occasional scammer will slip through on even the best of sites, because the scammers continue to try and change their approaches when they are blocked.

Sittercity is very open about this reality, and they have posted a warning here:
http://blog.sittercity.com/friday-5-tips-to-protect-yourself-from-scammers-on-sittercity/

I also wanted to inform everyone that this is still going on. I received a text from a woman claiming to be Jessica Adamson. She said she saw my information on care.com and needed a sitter for her 6 year old son. Here is the first email I received:

Thanks for replying to my text. My name is Jessica. I recently moved from San Diego to Phoenix with my family but i`m moving to your area on 17th of May and i will need a nanny for my son immediately. His name is Joe, 6years old and the time would be from 8.30am to 1.30pm Mondays to fridays only. This is a long term position but its fine to start temporary. Some weekdends are also flexible if you are available but we may need to discuss that in person. I`m willing to pay 15/hour. I believe its a great pay and i`m paying that much because i want quality care for my son. The start date is 19th of May.

I lost my husband and a 4months old baby in December. It was my late husband`s birthday and he decided to take the kids out while i was still at work. Joe happens to be the only survival from the accident but he currently uses a wheelchair. I have had terrible times in the last few months and this is one of the reasons i have decided to move to your area because staying here brings back some sad memories. Kindly be honest if you have experience with childcare because i want the best care for Joe. I`m hard of hearing and can only communicate via writing, reading lips or text messaging. I hope that isn`t a problem? I`m easy going and love to laugh. I can send you a picture of me and joe in my next email.

It will be nice to read about you. I want a nanny who is willing to be a friend and family. Please note that i have a few applicants for this position but i made you our first choice so i wouldnt appreciate a waste of time. Make sure to include your complete name, address including zipcode and cell phone number in your response so i could check the map to read the distance between us also to have your address on file. You may ask questions in case you have any. I await your quick response.

Sorry this was long but I wanted to make sure everyone was able to read the entire thing. After responding to her a few times she sent me a picture of her and her son. I reversed image searched it and found it was a stolen picture. I then did a little more research and found the SAME wording/emails to other people using the same situation. Shes moving to town from another state, she needs immediate care for her son in a wheelchair, she wants to have the wheelchair sent to my house and will send me a check for $2775 (amount of wheelchair $2440 plus first weeks pay $375).

The email address she is using is:

[email protected]

I got the same email from Kelly Eugene about needing a caretaker for her 66 year old mother.

She could not disclose the location where she is moving, that's how I knew something was up.

Hello Stefanie
Thank you for your email, yes we are coming to the area. I have decided to choose you for this position and I do hope for a very eventful time with you while you look after my Mom. Her name is Angelina. I will like to state the job details to you again so we wouldn't have any complications at the end.The starting date is 19th of May. You will have my mom from 8:30am through 1:30pm Mondays through Fridays Her nap time ranges between 11:30 to 1pm She as no allergies. The pay rate is $15/Hour.I was in Denver about 6months ago and had a caregiver for her along West Colfax Avenue but she moved to Canada with her husband about 3months ago. I will like for us to meet on Sunday (18th of May) evening so we can talk about the adult activities she will be interested in and get to know each other. We could meet at the McDonald's close to you if that works for you.I once booked a caregiver and on arrival she told me she got another job which was a big disappointment.For this reason,I will like to commit you by paying (DEPOSITING) you for the first week of your service before our arrival to secure the date so I can be absolutely sure of having you care for her to enable things go perfectly without disappointment.I am planning on having the wheelchair seller deliver it to you immediately after payment so you can have it ready for Her on Our arrival since the seller lives in the city as well. Hope that isn't a problem?I will be looking forward to your email to ensure we are on the same page.

Thanks,
Kelly

and then she sent:

Hello
We can meet at the McDonald's close to you by 6PM, let me know the address okay .I hope this is a convenient time for you. I will appreciate you working for us as one family not just as a caregiver. That increases the love and build a great partnership between us. I was able to finalized with the wheelchair seller. The wheel chair cost $2400. so i will be mailing your first week payment ($15/hr x 5hrs/day = $75 x 5days a week= $375) of $375 plus an additional deposit of $2400 to make a total of $2,775 on the check as soon as I hear back from you.The deposit goes to the wheelchair seller on delivery. I will send your address to the seller for the chair delivery so you can pay on delivery as soon as the check clears. Kindly let me know if this is clear so I can proceed to mailing the check immediately.
Thanks,
Kelly

That's when I googled her and found this site. She's still at large.

It is May 2014 and I too was a victim of this scam. I still have that check, but I am going to report it to the local police. I want this type of stuff to be broadcast because there are still people who are falling for this scam. I feel dumb because I gave the scammer my real address. I hope this doesn't become a big problem. This was the email that I received.

"Thanks for replying to my message. My name is Amy live in Florida with my family, but I'm moving to your area on 17th of May and i will need a nanny for my son immediately. His name is Joe, 6years old and the time would be from 9am to 4pm Saturdays and Sundays but if you're not available on this days please kindly let me know the days you will be available during the week days. This is a long term position but its fine to start temporary. I`m willing to pay $18/hour. I believe its a great pay and i`m paying that much because i want quality care for my son. The start date is on 24th of May.I lost my husband and a 4 months old baby in December. It was my late husband`s birthday and he decided to take the kids out while i was still at work. Joe happens to be the only survival from the accident but he currently uses a wheelchair. I have had terrible times in the last few months and this is one of the reasons i have decided to move to your area because staying here brings back some sad memories. Kindly be honest if you have experience with childcare because i want the best care for Joe. I`m hard of hearing and can only communicate via writing, reading lips or text messaging. I hope that isn`t a problem? I`m easy going and love to laugh. I can send you a picture of me and joe in my next email.
It will be nice to read about you. I want a nanny who is willing to be a friend and family. Please note that i have a few applicants for this position but i made you our first choice so i wouldn't appreciate a waste of time. Make sure to include your complete name, address including zip code and cell phone number in your response so i could check the map to read the distance between us also to have your address on file. You may ask questions in case you have any. I await your quick response.

Thank you!
Amy."
her email is [email protected]
I was really touched by the story but it sort of seemed a little off because she asked me for my resume, when I already put my resume up on care.com. I also thought it was weird that she would send a complete stranger money. Anyway, she sent me a picture of "her and her son" and I thought it seemed legit, but then I told my hubby about it and he said it sounded very weird. So he is smarter than I am, and he googled the words that she sent me and we found this awesome website. Also, I thought it was weird because wouldn't the person hiring me be considerate of people's religious views? I am never available on Saturdays and I even told her this. She ignored it and she told me that when we meet, then we could talk about Saturday. I kept telling her that Saturdays are a no go, but she still ignored me. Nannies, Babysitters BEWARE! do not fall for this. Thankfully, I did not put this check in my bank account or I would have been in very big trouble. I did more research and I googled the picture that she sent me. I found a source and it was a picture of a woman named Tara, not Amy, and her 8-year-old son with a completely different name than Joe. It was a story about a boy who got his wheelchair stolen. Anyway, I was sad because I thought that I would have a very good and reliably paid job. What I didn't get though was that her "son" needed a wheelchair because he was borrowing it from someone. I should have seen the flags. She asked me to give the money to the "seller" that was supposed to be at my door to sell me the expensive "wheelchair". I was wondering why she didn't buy a wheelchair online or at a retail store. Huh. I texted her and told her that I deposited the check, but that the check bounced. She or he started to freak out and told me that she told me to put it in my bank account. I didn't deposit any check and now I will ignore her or him. But I hope someone replies about my address. I don't want any surprise visits or stalkers. :/

[AlanJones]

^^^Welcome to Scamwarners, no one is going to turn up at your address - the scammer is a pathetic little individual in n Internet cafe in Africa, who relies on the anonymity of the Internet for his crimes. Even if he had the resources to visit you, doing so would remove that anonymity.