Alfred Owen - the same scam stories i got...

I hope your weekend is moving well. After discussing your employment with my Lawyer, we have decided that you match our requirements so please find the Contract Letter that is approved by the UK Home Office.
Important : You are to adhere to the following travel instructions as I would be responsible for your travel arrangements hence your strict compliance is required so that you do not make any mistakes or have any problems on arrival here.
Information For Travel
I received approval from the UK Home Office here in England to employ you, I have attached the approved contract letter issued me for your review. I need to apply now for a Work Registration Scheme Number (WRS) as UK Home Office instructed me for our application to be quickly considered, as that is important to prove that we are sponsoring your travel down to the UK and to prove that you are eligible to take up job position in UK before they send your reference and interview date to the nearest British Consulate in your country.
You need to sign the contract after going through it and send a scanned copy indicating your travel date (For Flight Booking which I will pay for) , to the UK Home Office in charge of your application via their E mail: [email protected]
A Work Registration Scheme Number (WRS) is important to prove that we are sponsoring your travel down to the United Kingdom and to prove that you are eligible to take up a job position in United Kingdom before the UK Home Office would be issue you a Reference Number., find below the contact details of the UK Home Office and contact them as soon as you sign the contract letter:
Home Office, UK Border Agency,
PO Box 3468, Sheffield,
S3 8WA,
United Kingdom
Fax : +44 2071 17 4321
E mail:[email protected]

I would wait to receive you when you arrive. God bless you as you come.

Yours faithfully
Alfred Owen

Hello josh, and welcome to ScamWarners. I'm glad that you recognised this as a scam.

The contents of the email are untrue, and the genuine UK Border Agency does not use a free webmail address like @yahoo.co.uk - you can see the genuine UK Home Office Border Agency email addresses here:

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/about ... ctcentres/

Please notice that the genuine UK Border Agency email addresses end with @ukba.gsi.gov.uk - and with no words or abbreviations after that.

The host family who directed you to the fake UK Border Office are also part of the scam. Could you post their email address and the first (or the first two or three) emails which the family sent to you? This will enable other au pairs to also be warned that this is a fake family and a scam. Au pair scammers write to many many people at the same time, and many others will have received exactly the same emails as yourself.

Dear Au pair,

My family is really in need of an active Au pair. We are originally to from Canada now living in Untied Kingdom. In the spirit of cultural exchange we decided to contact you, to discuss the possibilities of having you as a Au pair to our son. We saw you profile on www.newaupair.com

We are looking for an Au pair that can speak English and is willing to stay with us for a minimum of 6 months or 12 months.
I'm an Engineer and I work with Woodford Engineering Consultancy (UK) Ltd. Metropolitan House, Station Road, Cheadle Hulme, Cheshire SK8 7AZ, United Kingdom. my my wife Susan is also working here with Prima Hotels Group United Kingdom,as a Project Manager.

Josh goes school 5 days a week from 8.45am to 2pm, this is the reason why we are providing you with a car for you to take him to school and also bring him back.
Josh is very easy going kid and as such you can get along with him easily. We shall provide a fully furnished accommodation. We are willing to offer you the sum £350 weekly throughout the duration of your stay with us,including other benefits.

We will share travel expenses with you. Our only son means so much to us hence we are offering this salary so that you can put in your best while taking care of him. We would like to know when you can be available because we would like an Au pair that can start as soon as possible.
Please call me on +447031836524 or email me to discuss the position with us. While you send an introduction about yourself, CV and your picture. We've attached our family picture for you to see our lovely family .

Alfred & Susan Owen
For the Family

Dear Applicant,

Greetings from the UK Home Office. We wish to confirm receipt of your Files from your Employer ALFRED OWEN to notify you that we have queued your file for processing.
Thank you for contacting us and requesting our professional services in procuring and processing of your UK Entry Paperwork.
Your Application Sort Code is TWP-UK 196. Please quote reference number in subsequent correspondence for easy sorting and response to your inquiries.Find below the necessary steps you will take to enable you obtain your issuance of National Insurance Number, Work Scheme Card and supporting documents which will enable you to work legally as an Au pair in the United Kingdom.
Please find attached herewith appropriate and detailed information on your enquirer for the speedy procurement of your UK Entry Paperwork.
As soon as you fullfill the requirement, we shall book an appiontment with the UK Embassy in your country and inform you, with the date of appiontment. Keep all documents in order as it will be requested by the Embassy on the date which we shall inform you.

We work to serve you better.



Home Office, UK Border Agency,
P.O. Box 3468, Sheffield,
S3 8WA,
United Kingdom
Fax :+44 8720 22 1415

We are so glad to hear that the UK Home Office has finally gotten back to you, that shows that you will be coming to meet us here soonest.

I need to clarify you on this issues so that you do not make any mistakes. As regards to the Eligibility requirements furnished you by the UK Home Office, I must inform you here that it is important you expedite the confirmation of the funds and show them that you have the approved and stipulated financial requirement without delay because we are sponsoring you hence you should be able to demonstrate that you have at least 450GBP. It is not necessary that you should come to the United Kingdom with the stipulated amount that the UK Home Office has asked you to show and it is not a payment. The UK Home Office is only asking that you show that you have the money available through the instructions they have given you which is why you must ensure that the deposit is in your name as the receiver as instructed.

After they have confirmed that you have the funds then you shall be updated with the hard copies of your traveling documents, they would issue you relevant documentation to confirm you eligible to live and work in the United Kingdom before they would give you an interview date and instruct you when to visit the British Embassy or Consulate in your current location for your interview. The UK Home Office cannot issue you a Certificate of Eligibility or approve Expatriate Quota for our Contract with you to be legalized if you cannot prove that you have 450GBP as the stipulated financial requirement despite sponsorship from us here in United Kingdom.
You have to make the deposit immediately and scan and send a copy of the receipt to UK Home Office to confirm the sufficient fund, and you can withdraw it after 24hours after their verification, i wish you do understand all this procedure and follow the instructions so you do not make any mistake
We love you and hope to welcome you soonest.

Best Wishes
Alfred.

Thanks for writing us back that shows that you are healthy. We really want to employ you as an Au pair to our son Josh. We have decided to find an Au pair because we need help in taking care of our child especially when we go to work. We are looking for an Au pair to be a big sister to our child and to become part of our family.
My name is Alfred Owen and I am 42 years old, I'm an Engineer and I work with Woodford Engineering Consultancy (UK) Ltd. Metropolitan House, Station Road, Cheadle Hulme, Cheshire SK8 7AZ, United Kingdom. My wife Susan is 37 and is also working here with Prima Hotels Group United Kingdom,as a Project Manager.
We will require you to take care of Josh for about 30hrs a week. You will have weekends free and we will pay you £350 per week which we will give to you every Friday not including other unmentioned benefits that will come with it.
We reside in Armitt House, Monmouth Road, Cheadle Hulme, Cheadle SK8 7EF, United Kingdom Where adequate security is provided. You will have your own bedroom and your own bathroom, fully furnished.
We have received your pictures and Resume, meanwhile I'm evaluating your profile right now with my wife and the lawyer that works with the UK Home office. if we find it eligible for you to work as an Au pair to our son Josh, I would get back to you as soon as possible with the traveling guidance/contract letter and terms and conditions of the offer.
We need you to start with us as soon as possible and stay until at least one year or more.There is a language school here where you can attend to improve your English. We will provide you with a car,and also arrange a driver's license and lessons for you.
We are peaceful family looking for a decent Au pair to mix in with our family.
We shall pay for all your travel expenses, hence we will make the necessary enquiries from our Lawyer that works with the UK Home Office on how to procure traveling documents for you.
yours sincerely
Alfred Owen

Thank you josh for posting additional emails from this scammer. Could you also post the fake Alfred Owen's email address? Au pairs often google the email address of host families who contact them, and if it is included here, they will be able to discover that this is a scam.

The Confirmation of Sufficient Funds described by the scammer is bogus, and a trick to try and get you to send him money. Visa applicants do need to provide a proof of maintenance, but you can read the real requirements for this here:

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas ... intenance/

You can also read about the very few countries whose citizens can become an au pair in the UK here:

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas ... ityscheme/

If you also click on 'Working and conditions' on the left hand side of that webpage, you will be able to confirm that this is the correct visa for au pairs.