Is this scam

[NataliaSpain]

Hello!
I want to know that if this email is a scam.

First email:

Dear Aupair,
Thank you for your application, We need a live-in nanny in California, USA for our son starting from January 2012 staying for 12 months or more.
Duties are bathing and clothing for our Son then staying home with while we in the office.
We offer free room and bathroom with $300 salary per week for aupair.
Are you available from January 2012 Can you move to the States as live-in nanny?

Tim Pearce.

Second email:

Ok,

Tim Corey Pearce
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id= ... ef=tn_tnmn
+1857 207 9197
Address: 1132 Green St #4 San Francisco CA 94109

Third email:

Dear Natalia,
My family insurance company will cover your flights to U.S, then I contacted the U.S Department of State for aupair visa arrangements, I was told that aupair visa documents costs $150 to obtain the DS2019 and J-1 visa documents from the U.S Department of State.
I'll send the documents to you after approval and you submit to the U.S Embassy in there to get your visa approved. You will send the $150 for your visa documents fee soon as possible.
Tim.

[AlanJones]

The exact same first email that you posted is listed here http://www.forolondres.com/foro/showthread.php?p=966625, so I would say that it is a scam.

[Arnold]

It sounds like a scam to me too. Who wrote those emails has a strange idea about what insurance companies do.

My family insurance company will cover your flights to U.S

[Chris Fuller]

Yes, this is a scam.

I was told that aupair visa documents costs $150 to obtain the DS2019 and J-1 visa documents from the U.S Department of State.

In reality, in order to become an au pair in the USA, you must go through one of the US Government's designated sponsors. You can read about this here:

http://j1visa.state.gov/programs/au-pair/

http://j1visa.state.gov/participants/how-to-apply/

And you will find a list of designated sponsors here:

http://j1visa.state.gov/participants/ho ... =&x=14&y=8

Sometimes scammers pretend to be in contact with one of the designated sponsor agencies, so please take special care with this and make sure that you only contact a designated sponsor agency through their website. Clicking on an agency name in the above designated sponsor list will take you to the agency's website.

An au pair agency in your own country may also be in partnership with one of the designated sponsor agencies. You can see if there is an International Au Pair Association agency in your own country here:

http://www.iapa.org/portal/page/portal/ ... ber%20List