Scams: Common Tricks and Red Flags
Learn some of the sure-fire signs that you're in the midst of a nanny scam.
It seems that scammers are getting sneakier and, dare we say, a little smarter in how they orchestrate their scams. A lot of times, the emails you receive may seem so legit, you won't even question it.
This list of red flags will alert you to the scam before you get too involved and waste your time (or money), and will keep you one step ahead of the scammers so you won't even give their attempts a second glance.
DOESN'T USE YOUR NAME IN THE EMAIL
"Hi Babysitter!" says the email. At the very least, that should strike you as odd. More likely, this is a scam. We've grown up our entire lives being told that we're special, but apparently not special enough to get a personal greeting. Scammers simply can't be bothered with individually tailoring each scam email to each individual sitter, so they'll use the impersonal, generic greeting to open the lines of communication. Don't let it happen.
FROM ANOTHER COUNTRY
While there are legitimate nanny-seeking families from overseas, many scam artists will have a foreign address. Why? Well, for one, they usually aren't US-based anyway. It also prevents you from requesting a face-to-face meeting, something scammers always avoid. Sure, they'll do quite a bit to win your trust, but ultimately, they want to maintain some distance. It also sets up the storyline that requires the super-fast wiring of money instead of the much slower overseas snail mail.
OFFERS YOU THE JOB WITHOUT CHECKING REFERENCES OR MEETING YOU
If any stranger is offering to "make arrangements" to hire you without so much as a phone call interview, reference check or in-person meeting, your internal scam radar should kick in. Who in their right mind, especially when it comes to child care, would hire a total stranger inside their home? No one you'd want to work for, that's for sure. This will tell you that their main priority isn't finding the best person for the job.
WANTS TO PAY MONEY UPFRONT
They'll tell you that they want to send you some money, even though you haven't done anything for them yet, as a gesture of "good faith" to show you that they are "truly interested." That sure does sound good, but the reality is far from it. Instead, this is the first real step towards financial downfall. Once you've deposited this (fake) check, the scammer will find a reason to have you wire money back - either they "accidentally" overpaid or suddenly need to cancel your services. You'll do so before your bank realizes that the check isn't legit, and then you're out of hard-earned dough.
USES PARTICULAR REFERENCES
Certain phrases and storylines are almost always a scam. If you notice any of the following references in an email regarding a nannying job, don't even bother with a response:
- Cruise ship ("My husband is a cruise ship captain.")
- Africa ("I am a film presenter/producer, i base here in west Africa.")
- Fashion boutique/textile importing ("I own a fashion boutique.")
WON'T MENTION YOUR LOCAL AREA BY NAME
If you get an email from a parent saying that he and his family live in "your local area" or will be moving to/visiting "your local area," proceed with caution. Because scammers are mass-producing these grammatically atrocious emails, they're unlikely to bother tailoring their pitch to sitters in different locations.
