Hi,
Newbie chiming in here with an update on the scam. I was approached last week by a "Sally Richardson" supposedly from Phoenix. She claimed to be "hard of hearing" and wove a fine sob story about losing her late husband and 14 month old baby in a car accident this year that almost made me putty in her hands. Swayed by her tragic story, I was ready to do just about anything for her. Had it not been for my husband picking up on the red flags in her email, I probably would have NEVER guessed that I was being scammed. After googling accidents in Feb 2014 in Phoenix to confirm whether her cock and bull story was real, I started googling care.com babysitting scams, which is when this forum showed up confirming my worst fears; I was being played by a experienced scammer, and boy do I feel like a gullible moron now.
Anyway, I was first approached by her via text. The number was 310 299-5155. When I called the number, it turned out to be a text only number. She asked me to forward her my resume and references to the gmail address
[email protected]. Here's my entire exchange with her, with personal information omitted for privacy:
Email from me:
Hi Sally,
Thank you for getting in touch.
Attached please find my CV as requested. Below are my references:
REFERENCES DELETED
Let me know if you need any further information.
Thank you
Regards,
AB
HER RESPONSE:
From: Sally Richardson
Sent: Thursday, October 23, 2014 7:29 AM
To: AB
Subject: Re: Resume & references
Hello,
Thanks for your response.I live in phoenix but i am moving to your area on 31st of oct and i will need a Babysitter for my 6yrs old Son immediately between the hours of 8:30am to 1:30pm Monday`s through Friday`s.I hope you are available this hours but if you are not let me know your availability because i might still be needing your services on weekends and the time would be from 9am to 4pm Saturdays and Sundays only. I am willing to pay $15/hour and $18/hour on weekends I believe its a great pay and i`m paying that much because i want quality care for my son. I really need a honest and responsible caregiver for him. This could be a temporary/permanent job. It depends on what your schedule looks like and cooperation but i do like to be sure if you are available the first month.
I lost my husband and a 14months old baby in february. It was my late husband`s birthday and he decided to take the kids out while i was still at work. Jason 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 a new area because staying here brings back some sad memories. I am planning on getting him a powered wheelchair and have contacted a seller. 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 so i can include that to my payroll for the period. I also will like you to tell me a few things about yourself and your availability (weekdays or weekends). Here is a little about me. I am a single mother, I am 39 and i am hard of hearing and can communicate via writing, reading lips or text messaging. I attended phoenix School for the Deaf where i achieved my highest qualification. I have my own business (Self Employed). I attend the catholic. You will get to know more when we meet. Kindly include in your email your complete name,address and also your personal cell phone number so i can text you incase i need to pass an urgent information.
Thank You
MY RESPONSE:
On 23 October 2014 08:51, wrote:
Dear Sally,
Thank you for your email. I am saddened to learn about the loss of your family, and can completely relate to your decision to move.
Besides my care-giving services, I would love to offer you any support I can extend to help make the transition to Oklahoma City easier for you and your son. There's a lot to see and do here and I'd be happy to help you explore the city more.
Now a little bit about me. I have been working in PR for the last 15 years, and have had the opportunity to travel to many countries due to the nature of my work.
l have been married for two years now, and work as a contractual copywriter, with most of my work done online. These days, I have a flexible schedule so I can offer you my services during weekdays and weekends.
I live in a pretty neighbourhood in xxxxxxx. Our address is (deleted for privacy) . We have a park near our home and I would love for you to come and visit. I can come over to your place to watch your son , or you can bring him to our house if you're comfortable with that. Since we have a park close to our house, I just think he would enjoy being outdoors. But I'm flexible either way. My cell phone is (deleted for privacy). Feel free to text me whenever convenient. I also want to add that I will be traveling for a wedding from the 3rd to the 7th of November, so I will be unavailable during these dates.
Hope I've answered all your questions. We can schedule a meeting once you're in town and discuss things further if you want.
Let me know either way. I would love to help in any way possible!
Regards, AB
From: Sally Richardson
Sent: Friday, October 24, 2014 2:33 AM
To: AB
Re: Resume & references
Hello,
Thank you for your concern. You seem perfect for this job and 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 son, The sitting could be in our place but if you want Jason at your place, I wouldn't have any problem dropping him. You are free to do outdoors if you wish.The start date is will now be 3rd of Nov. You will have Jason from 8.30am through 1:30pm Mondays through Fridays, His nap time ranges between 11:30 to 1.30pm and He has no allergies. I suggest that we meet at mcdonalds' on Sunday 2nd before you start working on Monday 3rd, That way we can get to know each other in person and share some interest about ourselves and the babysitting activities. As said in my previous email, the last couple of months hasn't been good and i wouldn't want to get stocked with my Son on arrival and i once booked a nanny and on arrival she told me she got another job which was a big disappointment so i`m willing to make a deposit to you ahead of time to ensure a secured appointment and to avoid disappointment. I am planning on having the wheelchair seller deliver it to you immediately after payment so you can have it ready for Jason on arrival. Hope that isn't problem? I will be looking forward to your email to ensure we are on the same page.
Thanks
MY RESPONSE:
Dear Sally
Thank you for the honor of trusting me with your son, I would love to offer my assistance to you and am excited to get started! By all means, feel free to have the wheelchair delivered to my place. However, regarding Nov. 3rd as the start date, unfortunately as I mentioned below in my email (I think maybe you missed that part), I will be in Vegas from the 3rd to the 7th to attend a family wedding. I hope that doesn't complicate the plans?
I'm sorry your last babysitting experience wasn't good, but please know that I would never commit and then back out at a later stage for any reason so an advance will not be necessary. Like I said, I would love to be of help to you guys. But please let me know if we can still work something out given my travel constraints? We can certainly meet on the 2nd, and i'll be back on the 7th, so we can start on the 8th if that that won't be a huge inconvenience to you? let me know if that changes anything, hopefully we will still be able to work something out.
I will wait for your reply.
Regards, AB
From: Sally Richardson
Sent: Sunday, October 26, 2014 00:55 AM
To: AB
Re: Resume & references
Hello,
Thank you for your email. I believe we can work something out as regards your traveling after meeting on the 2nd. We can meet at the McDonald at 6.00PM. 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. Please understand that the aim of having the wheelchair delivered to you is to ensure the wheelchair is available for Jason on arrival. The wheelchair isn't assembled yet. Its still packed in pieces so its not big at all. Due to his condition, i wouldn't want any delay with the arrangement of the chair.
Kindly let me know if this is clear so i can proceed to mailing the check.
MY RESPONSE:
Dear Sally,
I'm afraid I don't quite understand. I haven't rendered any services for you yet, so why are you sending me the advance money? Isn't there some way you can pay the wheelchair guy directly? I'm really confused.
From: Sally Richardson
To: AB
Date: 26 October 2014 01:32
subject: Resume & references
Did you go through the email at all? i am paying you in advance so to secure your services and i also want the wheelchair to be on ground before we arrive so he can start to use immediately and i want it paid for on delivery ONLY. Do you understand now?
Now, by this time, I had already done my research and had come across this thread discussing this particular scam, so I KNEW she was BSing. Link:
https://thepassionpro.wordpress.com/...cam-scam-scam/So here's my response:
Sent: Sunday, October 26, 2014 1:48 AM
To: Sally Richardson
Subject: Re: Resume & references
No need to be belligerent Sally. I did go through your email, hence the confusion. I'm a direct person so I will be upfront with you. I don't know why you keep insisting on paying me in advance for services that I haven't even rendered when you are unwilling to pay a vendor until AFTER he delivers the product to me. It just contradicts everything you are saying. Do you see my point? What works for me should work for the vendor too.
Also, most vendors accept credit cards, so why can't you pay him via credit card after he delivers the wheel-chair to me? If you want, you can send me a check written out in his name and I will hand it to him upon delivery of the wheelchair. That way, it will be a more streamlined process. Lastly, I don't want you to send me ANY payment to secure my services. I will work for you on a cash basis, which I will collect from you at the end of each week. This way, if you don't like my services or are not happy with the way things are going with Jason under my care, you won't feel obligated to keep me on as a sitter.
Hope that makes sense.
Thanks
AB
I also sent this email as a follow-up:
From: AB
Sent: Sunday, October 26, 2014 1:58 AM
To: Sally Richardson
Subject: Re: Resume & references
Also, please specify which McDonalds you are referring to, there are at least 50 in Oklahoma. A location address would help.
Lastly, what is your home address in Oklahoma where you will be moving? I need to map the distance for mileage.
Thanks
Needless to say, I haven't heard back and probably never will. Since I'm not falling for her bait, she's no longer interested in carrying on the charade.
I also have a picture that she sent to me of a lady and a kid in a wheelchair. It was very pixelated, but I guess I just didn't pick up on it. I was too sympathetic to really pay attention to all the red flags including the broken English and the weird story she pulled.
Oh well. Here's hoping others find out about her in time.