babysitting scam

Anyways.. this is a guy i baited for awhile.. he sent a nice fake check for me... he doesn't seem to change his story much between other scams he does... so... here we go..
----
Hello,
I am Mr Davids by name and i worked with a statistical firm in UK ,i was selected to supervise groups of enumerators in a research work within your location which are to be carried out in a month(May 15 to June 18),i got a 2 years old kid that just lost her mum recently which i am bringing with me,i will not want her to disturb my duties and i will also like to take care of her so i want to leave her your care as i will pay you well for this,i came across your add at craiglist as an experience caregiver of infant when i was thinking of a possible option and i made up my mind to offer you the baby sitting job,my job will make me leave my hotel at 9am in the money and i will not be back until 5pm in the evening,precisely 8hrs daily.I would want to solely secure you for this time frame and would want to know how much it would cost me.Money is not a problem as I would want all condition conducive for both you and my KID while she is in your care because her mum is no more. My KID is just 2yrs in age,lover of computer games,never allergic and free eater.I would be sending you her picture as soon as I get a reply from you indicating your readiness to care for her everyday before I return.I hereby anticipate your reply indicating your availability throughout these times and the total cost of caring for her to my private email ([email protected]).
Thanks with love.
Davids

----

Hello XXXX,
I appreciate your speedy response regards my message and the charges is okay by me $400 per week ,tell zeta the kid will be staying with her between 9 am that i will leave my hotel and 5 pm when i returns, that is precisely 8hrs daily for a month,her name is liza and she is less than 2yrs she is adorable,free eater and never allergic!As i would like her to be comfortable i will include the payment for her Toys,Car seats and Strollers and baby meals that will be ordered.I will make an early payment to you since i cant contact her directly via email so that all should be perfect prior to my arrival on the 15th of May Kindly send the following details to get the paycheck processed and also forward the details to the store that will be dispatching the kids items.
---------Name:
---------Address:
---------City:
---------State:
---------Zip code:
---------Phone: Home and cell:
---------Age:
---------Sex:
---------Present
---------Present occupation:
---------Number of years as a babysitter:
---------Number of available reference:
---------Email
I would anticipate your response.
Thanks for your anticipated service

-----
Dear XXXXX,
How are you doing today? hope you are doing great and thanks for the help,hope she is still available just like we concluded?i would want the Liza and herself under a very conducive environment while she cares for her,hence I am putting in some measures to this effect.Kindly inform her that she would be in receipt of the payment for her services very soon but i will keep you updated.Also,note that I will include in the payment the money for the liza items such as,Toys,Car seat,Strollers and other sundry materials for her comfort but i will like to pay for the first two week which is $800 in advance, so i will be paying the rest week in cash when i arrive.Hence,all she need do upon the receipt of the payment is deduct the money accrued to her(i..e payment for your services)and forward the rest to the store agent who would be supplying her with the KID materials via an Overnight Courier.I would provide you with the store manager's details so as to have the money sent for the immediate release of the KID items before my arrival.I hope all is clear as I anticipate the best care ever for my KID.I will be providing all comfort for her and my girl so as to make her feel at home even while I am away.
Am really counting on you so kindly explain to her carefully, mail me back now...
Thanks,
Davids

---------
Hello XXXX,
How are you doing today, Information reaching me now from FedEx has it that you are in receipt of the paycheck.It was delivered precisely 09:32 AM your time this morning with tracking number (XXXX XXXX XXXX),the 5th May, 2009 make sure you get things done as agreed. I want you to be a person of your word, Here is what you would do now,take the check to your bank and have it deposited into your account and make cash withdrawal of the remaining funds for my kid items immediately.

1. Deduct the amount for your services of babysitting my kid while you send the rest of the funds to the store agent who would be supplying you with my kid items tomorrow evening via Overnight courier

2.Proceed to a nearby Western union outlet with the remaining funds for the store manager and have it sent Western union to the store with the below information:

Here is the store manager information to send the remaining money via Western union Money Transfer after deducting your service fees

*****************************************************************
Name: YOUNG WELLS
Address: 204 N. Ector Drive.
City: Euless
State: TX
Zip code: 76039
******************************************************************

As soon as the wire transfer is made,get back immediately with the wire transfer information viz-a-viz:The total amount sent after deducting the Western union charges from the "store funds" with you and The Western union money transfer confirmation number (MTCN).I will forward these details to the store who would release the baby items immediately to you via overnight courier service today.

Thanks for your anticipated Service,
Davids
------

After that.. he pretty much tells me to rot in hell...

Welcome to Scamwarners ChiefArcher. Thank You for posting this information on this scammer.

It will alert and save others from being scammed. Well Done

If you have any concerns please post and an advisor will be happy to answer any questions.

Note this search on scammer mail address click here

i just got a large check from this guy from fedex this morning. i thought things where a little weird so i checked out the name and found out it was a scam. im so glad i found out before cashing it, i just wonder what i should do now. well he is emailing me again, he is going by the name mark fish.any ideas on what to do?

Welcome to Scamwarners sexy_momma0682. I am glad you realised the scam.

What to do;

Cease all communications with the scammer immediately. Delete any emails unopened and hang up if the scammer calls you.

Report the scam to your local police and to the Internet Crime Complaint Centre here if you are in the US. There is not much chance that the scammer will be caught, as he is probably overseas and certainly using false details. However, the more scams are reported, the more the authorities can tell how widespread it is, and the greater the effort that goes into stopping it.

If you have given the scammer your bank account, credit card or other financial details, tell your bank, card company or other provider immediately, and ask them to change your accounts and card numbers.

Do not accept any deliveries that are from the scammer or that you are not expecting. If you receive a check or something similar (such as a money order) take it to your bank or local police and tell them you think it is fake.

Do not panic. Whilst scammers are criminals and some of them are dangerous, the risks are negligible if you simply stop communicating with them. If you are in any doubt about your safety, report your concerns to your local police, who will be able to advise you.

At Scamwarners we are happy to answer any questions or concerns you have. Please post as much information about this scam as possible, not your personal details though.

A Support Team member will respond ASAP.

this is the email i got from him first
Flag this message
single mother cant wait to watch your lil ones
Tuesday, May 12, 2009 5:09 AM
From:
This sender is DomainKeys verified
"Mark Fish" <[email protected]>
View contact details
To:
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hello,
I am Mr Mark by name and i worked with a statistical firm in UK ,i was selected to supervise groups of enumerators in a research work within your location which are to be carried out in a month(June 10 to July 13),i got a 2 years old kid that just lost her mum recently which i am bringing with me,i will not want her to disturb my duties and i will also like to take care of her so i want to leave her your care as i will pay you well for this,i came across your add at craiglist as an experience caregiver of infant when i was thinking of a possible option and i made up my mind to offer you the baby sitting job,my job will make me leave my hotel at 9am in the morning and i will not be back until 5pm in the evening,precisely 8hrs daily.I would want to solely secure you for this time frame and would want to know how much it would cost me.Money is not a problem as I would want all condition conducive for both you and my KID while she is in your care because her mum is no more. My KID is just 2yrs in age,lover of computer games,never allergic and free eater.I would be sending you her picture as soon as I get a reply from you indicating your readiness to care for her everyday before I return.I hereby anticipate your reply indicating your availability throughout these times and the total cost of caring for her to my private email: [email protected]

Thanks with love.
Mark
+44-7024042816

Mod edit -removed member's email address. -Jillian

Victim posted further information in this thread;

http://www.scamwarners.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=2541

It is oct 16, 2010 and this guys is still at it. I just got taken a ride but luckily caught onto it before mailing out anymoney. He hired me to babysit a 2 year old he was bringing with him to the area to train with the bureau of investigation for 1 month..nov 1 - nov 30th. He contacted me from craigslist where I was looking for babysitting work to get the heat on cause we are low income (but fall through the cracks for programs) and its getting cold out. What saved me I think is the fact I don't have a bank account so I had to open one to cash his very large check of 4100 dollars which i would keep 1800. because it was a brand new account I couldn't withdrawl right away which gave me time to pause and consider: "Why would he need to mail me money with my portion to send in..which he could cut two checks and send one to me and one to where its going himself? why do I need to do it " if it was local I could understand since I could run right over and pick everything up but its wasnt.

here are some of the emails he sent, going by the name Bill Johnson

How are you? I hope you are in the right frame of my mind? Just keeping in touch and to let you know that your payment as my babysitter for Rachael when i arrive your location for the assignment bringing me there has been processed, immediately i have the details on my desk,i shall inform you to know when to expect its delivery. Also,i have been rounding my orders up at the store where i found Rachael's play items-Toys,Games and sundry materials at a very discount rate, as soon as I'm through with the ordering i shall let know so that we can proceed on how we shall be purchasing them. In the meantime ensure your check your mailbox regularly for updates and i will want you to be at your very best as i want the best care for my daughter.
Do have a nice day ahead,
Bill.
****

This is to inform you that you would be in receipt of the paycheck covering the total payment for your Babysitting services as well as for the purchase of Rachael's items from the store.The paycheck would be delivered via an overnight courier today Oct 13, 2010 by 12:00 PM.Hence, endeavour you are available to receive it and get back to me as soon as you did for detailed instructions on what to do.
Anticipating to hear back from you.
Regards,
Bill.
****
his is to confirm the delivery of the paycheck of $4100, which covers the total payment for your services as well as for the purchase of Rachael's food and other sundry items.

The payment was delivered precisely at 2:36PM, this morning, 13TH October by FedEx with Tracking Number .

Take the check to your bank now and have it deposited into your bank account through the ATM for immediate availability of the funds. As soon as you are done with the deposit, get back to me with the scanned copy of the deposit slip; And also for detailed instruction on how to treat the balance which is meant for Rachael's items.

I await to read from you as soon as possible. Do have a nice day.
Bill.
****

*I paused a few days because I dont have an account while I considered, waited too long I guess because I received another email*

The paycheck was to the tune of $4100 from Northen Arkansas Telephone Company,Arkansas.The delivery tracking number via FedEx is 796336043512.Everything is intact as arranged for Rachael's comfort.Take the check now to your bank and have it deposited into your account.I'm at present very busy in the office and as soon as I'm done and get home later tonight I would detail you on how to treat the remaining balance which would go for the purchase of Rachael's play materials from the store.
Thanks and get back to me with a scan copy of the deposit slip as soon as you are through at the bank.This is for my official perusal and records.
Bill
******
*I wrote back and explained I dont an account. offered to cash it at a check cashing place*

thanks for confirmation of payment receipt and sad to note that you dont have a bank account(either personal or corporate).Anyways,you can have the check deposited into any of your family's member account just ensure that the funds is properly secured there so as to ensure its disbursement for both your payment and purchase of Rachael's materials is actualized.
You SHOULD NOT!! cash a check of that amount in a check cashing store.Okay?Follow the instructions above and get back to me asap.
*****

*i deposited the check and told him it would be on hold until it cleared because it was a new account. he ignored this and gave more directions*

This is affirming your receipt of the funds to the tune of $4100 which covers the 4-weeks upfront payment of your services as well as for the immediate purchase of the Rachael's play materials,toys and food items from the kids store.I have made alternative arrangement with the store and her items will be sold at a discounted price.

Here is what you would do immediately tomorrow morning being Friday 15th Oct.:

1. Deduct $1800 which covers the 4-weeks upfront payment of your services of babysitting Rachael while you transfer the rest of the funds($2300) to the store manager who would be supplying Rachael's materials and foodstuffs via an overnight courier.The materials are expensive items including her foodstuffs hence treat with care.

2. Take cash to the tune of $2300,proceed immediately to a nearby WESTERN UNION outlet and have it transferred via WESTERN UNION to Judy Store with the information below:

Name: JUDY PA
Address: 600 FRANCISCO BLVD
City: SAN RAFAEL
State: CA
Zip code: 94901

P.S: Copy this information on a clean sheet of paper
As soon as the wire transfer is made,get back immediately with the wire transfer details viz-a-viz:THE REFERENCE NUMBER and THE TOTAL AMOUNT sent after deducting the WESTERN UNION charges from the "store funds"($2300)" with you.I will forward these details to the store for the release of Rachael's items as I want all in place and properly arranged prior to my arrival.The materials would be sent down to your residence,and I'll instruct you on how to have it kept in the hotel I would be lodging.
I'm anticipating the best care for Rachael and I believe you won't let her down.
Awaiting your reply.
Bill Johnson

Find below the list of Western Union store where you will make the transfer:
********************

So luckily I ran to the bank and canceled it and only received a 25.00 canceled check fee. could have been much worse.

Well now there is a Jane Pedro out there who posted on my USU job board.

Thank you for your response.I live in Missouri but i am moving to your
area on 1st of August. I will need a caregiver immediately between the
hours of 4pm through 8pm. 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 weeks ago.he can walk a few distance though but
the specialist advised he uses the chair for a while.The rate is
$15/hour.He is 4yrs old and i really need a honest and responsible
care for him. This could be a temporary/permanent job. It depends on
what your schedule looks like but i do like to be sure if you are
available the first month.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.

Here is a little about me. I am a single mother,I am 39 and i am hard
of hearing. I have lived in Hutchinson, Kansas 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 canceling of the deaf
people in the community. I am never married and a i attend the
catholic.You will get to know more when we meet.

Kindly include in your email your complete name,address and your
mobile number so i can text you in case i need to pass an urgent
information.

Thank You.
Jane

She lives in Missouri but grew up in Kansas all her life? hmmm....here is another email she just sent me...

Hello Anne,
Thank you for your email.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. His name is James. I will like to state the job
details to you again so we wouldn't have any complications at the end.

The start date is August 8th You will have James from 4pm through 8pm
Mondays through Fridays
His nap time ranges between 4:30pm to 5.15pm.He has no allergies The
pay rate is $15/Hour
You will be paid for his snacks/food daily or at the end of each week
(which ever you prefer).

I was in Logan about 6months ago and had a nanny for the him but she
moved to Canada with her husband about 3months ago. I will like for us
to meet on Sunday (August 7th 2011) evening so we can talk about the
kid-fun activities i will be interested in and get to know each other.
We could meet at the Pizza Hut at 110 East 400 North if that works for
you.
I once booked a nanny 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 James 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 James on
arrival since the seller lives in UT. Hope that isn't a
problem?
I will be looking forward to your email to ensure we are on the same page.
Thanks and have a blessed day.

I put the name because my name isn't even Anne!! She just must have copy and pasted...and why would we need a wheelchair sent to me? They should have it on the plane if their son really needs a wheelchair. It's sad because they probably scam more girls than they should since most women who are seeking to be nanny's are young women and need money that they don't think it's strange...

ps her email address is [email protected]

I got the same reply from the USU Job board as well Jane Pedro, I was suspicious of the whole thing to begin with, but I just figured she doesn't have any of my info so it doesn't really matter, and I figured before I cashed anything I would run it through my banks fraud department, I got very suspicious however when she tried to send me the check while I was out of town at a funeral and then when I said I couldn't cash anything right away, suddenly the start date changed and she was going to send the money out another week so I googled the name and came up with this. I'm glad I did it's not so much the fake check that bugs me as much as it is the fact that I quit looking for another job because I thought I had one. Oh well though at least I found this and I can start looking now.

I have just been through this same scam, however the name given was Judy Smith and the email address was [email protected] I haven't received a check yet, but I'm not sure what to do to stop this. Please give me some advice. Thanks for posting this, I could be in serious trouble right now if I hadn't found this.

Welcome to ScamWarners Miranda22 and chocolate.chic. We are glad you found us and realized you are dealing with a scammer.

The thing to do is four fold.

!. Stop communicating with the scammer totally. Don't tell them goodbye, don't tell them you know they are a scammer, just disappear.
2. If you receive a check do not deposit it in your bank. Do not try to cash it to get cash because it is a forgery. If you "pass" the check, you can be held responsible for passing the fraud.
3. You can just destroy the check. You can deface it with permanent marker. You can trun it into the authorities with the emails you have exchanged.
4. If you have given parts of your identity documents to the scammer, you can contact the agency that issued the documents to you and get their advice.

Be careful and feel free to ask questions here. We will try to help you.

Now it's YEAR 2013 and I still received this kind of email...
I saw the posting on craiglists and I didn't think it's a scam because on craiglists it just said "we are looking for a babysitter for our 6-year old son. Housework is not required. Kindly send an email to Janet Anderson <[email protected]> for more information) So, I sent the scammer an email, and here's the reply:


Thank you for responding to my job posting. I live in phoenix but i am
moving to Chicago on 27th of January and i will need a nanny for my
6yrs old Son immediately between the hours of 9 a.m. to 3 p.m,
Monday`s through Friday`s as stated.

More importantly, My son is currently placed on a wheelchair due to an
accident he had some weeks ago. he can walk a short distance though
but the specialist advised he uses a wheelchair for a while. I am
willing to pay $17/hour. I really need a honest and responsible care
for him. This could be a temporary/permanent job. It depends on what
your schedule looks like but i do like to be sure if you are available
the first month. 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.

Here is a little about me. I am a single mother, I am 46 and i am hard
of hearing. I have lived in Phoenix all my life. I attended Arizona
School for the Deaf where i achieved my highest qualification. I have
my own business (Self Employed). I was never married. 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
cell phone number so i can text you in case i need to pass an urgent
information.

Thank You.

---- At this time I was like, wow, that was a lot of info! I didn't really think deep into it, but i was somehow sensing a bad signal, you know, woman's intuition. However as I just came out of college, I needed income, so I replied to the mail again, telling the scammer my basic information, including my name, my degree, and my past jobs (titles only, no company names or address). I was concern about giving out my address (again, woman's intuition), so I just vaguely said that I lived nearby the train station at XXX, but I did included my phone# at the end, so that she can text me her location as I said.

The scammer replied as follow:
Hello Rebecca,
Thank you for your email. 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. I will enroll him in a catholic school after some
weeks but currently he isnt enrolled in Chicago. children are very
important and i want a proper care for him. I believe you are
promising this? His name is David. I will like to state the job
details to you again to avoid complications in the future.

The start date is 28th January
You will have David from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m Mondays through Fridays
His nap time ranges between 12:30pm to 2pm
He has no allergies
The pay rate is $17/hour
You will be paid for his snacks/food daily or at the end of each
week(which ever you prefer).

I was in your area about 6months ago and had a nanny for him but she
moved to Canada with her husband about 3months ago. I will like for us
to meet on Sunday(January 27th) evening so we can talk about the
kid-fun activities i will be interested in and get to know each other.
We could meet at one of the McDonald's around. We can figure it out
before the time.

I have once booked a nanny 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 David 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 him on arrival since the seller lives in your area. Hope that
isn't a problem? I will be looking forward to your email to ensure we
are on the same page.

Thanks and have a blessed day.


----Rebecca? My name does NOT have even one letter of it. Now things began to smell fishy. Maybe "Janet" has some vision problem too (besides some hearing problems as she said )? Or did the she just copy and paste to every one of the people who inquired about the babysitter job? She even wanted to pay me upfront? But she said she had bad experience so might that be true? And she forgot to tell me where she would be living ! So for the second time i replied to her, telling her it's not a problem to meet when they arrived, but again asked for her location to make sure if i would be able to go there.

Now scammer's third email:

Hi xxxxx! Attached is a picture of me and my kids. David is the
eldest and his little brother Kelvin is the youngest who died in the
accident. I will appreciate you working for us as one family and not
just a caregiver. That increases the love and build a great
partnership between us. I`m wondering if we can meet at the Mcdonalds
on ### SOMETHING Avenue, City name at 6pm on Sunday. We re going to
be living at ### Something ROAD, CITY NAME. and the care will be at
our place.

I was able to finalized with the wheelchair seller yesterday. The
wheelchair cost $2790 so i will be mailing your first week payment
($17/hr x 6hrs/day = 102 x 5days a week= $510) of $510 plus an
additional deposit of $2790 to make a total of $3,300 on the check.
You re to deposit the check into your account and pay for the
wheelchair soon as the funds become available. I will send your
address to the seller for the chair delivery so you can pay on
delivery as soon as you have the funds available in your account.
Kindly include in your email your name and address as it should appear
on the payment.

I will look for your email this morning to ensure everything is clear
and understood so i can forward your information for immediate
processing of your check.

----- OK now instead of my intuition, my human brain is telling me there must be something wrong with it. Send me a big check upfront? It's not my money. Deliver the wheelchair to me? I don't need that. I searched the address the scammer mentioned, the McDonal's address is right, but the residential address is not "a house with a small yard in the front to play" as stated in her craiglists posting, instead, it is a 10-floor apartment building with different unit #s. Power wheel chair? in an apartment building? for a 6 year old boy? David? What kid of mom is that? Another big big flaw, the death of a young kid is NOT something a sad mom will share with a stranger that she never met!. Just wanna gain some sympathy on me so I would easily fall? Wrong strategy ! (BTW, this loser forgot to attach a fake picture of "her and her two sons, of which the younger one died in an accident.)

--- I immediately realized this was a online scam, and googled "babysitter scam" - a lot of similar cases and examples pop up.At this point everything was crystal clear. Woman's intuition is always right! I wanted to reply with the police's address to trick the scammer, but decided not to, in case i burn myself.

My only concern is that I've given out my phone #..... Would it be a problem?...

Hope I won't get anything like this.

Hello, smartee.

What you experienced is a classical nanny scam involving fake check. Upon depositing the check, withdrawing monies and sending them on via Western Union, the bank would eventually discover check is fake, and you'd be held for entire amount of the check. Plus potentially face criminal charges for passing fake checks.

I wouldn't worry too much about giving your number to the scammer. He asked for it in order to appear legitimate. You'd also give your number in the case of offer being true, correct? But if you're concerned, you can change your number at phone provider for a small fee.

Basically take this to heart - anytime anyone wants you to pay an upfront fee, or wants to send you a check before you even began working, it's a scam.

Sigh.
It's may 2013 and this babysitting scam's still around.
I just received an email. Pretty much just the same like all what all of you said except that she had twins and her name is laura gibson.
It wasn't really weird at first because all she said kinda had a plausible explanation for it. Until her most recent email where she said she would send me over 3000 dollars for the wheelchair and my first week of payment. And i was like, "what?! Who sends a total stranger 3000 dollars?!"
So anyway i was just about to tell her that she should send the check to the wheelchair supplier and give my check personally to me when we meet at mcdonalds when i decided to google the situation.
And i wound up here, reading the EXACT words and was totally disappointed in what i'd done.
I gave her a lot of personal details about me because i mailed her my resume the first time i applied. And i described my living situation as she said she also wanted the care to be at my place or theirs.

AAAAAaahhhhhh!

My question: i know i should stop and do absolutely nothing, but what happens to the information i sent her? Does anybody have an idea? Do i have to report this to the authorities? PLEASe HELP. Personal experience answers would be awesome.

Please and thankyou!