Going to the UK tomorrow.. but it's a scam??

I booked my ticket to the UK and I'm leaving tomorrow..
but now I found the guy's name on this website.. not sure what to do now.
It's Darren Cooper from Kenley, Surrey..

I really hope someone can help me!

Sometimes scammers use names of real people, so we would need to see the emails you received to confirm whether this is a scammer.

Hi Rachel,
Thanks for showing an interest in us on www.aupair-world.net.
Yes, our current au pair left today (sadly as she was great!) and my wife's parents were due to arrive but now they can't come until mid June! So we need someone until then.
But, we also want another long term au pair, to start in August.
About the au pair position:
Children's activities - school Monday to Friday from 08:20 - 15:20. They also do football and ballet after school, and gymnastics, drama and swimming at the weekend.
Au Pair duties - start at 6:45-7, get the kids ready for school and take them for 08:20. Then free until 15:00, when you collect the kids. Then take them to activities of look after them, give them dinner (though Marie will be home by then) and finish at 6 or 7. On top of that, some general housework. That gives you plenty of time during the days for language lessons, sightseeing, fun, etc
Where we live - it's a small-ish (about 50 houses) development, on the edge of countryside. 100 yards walk is an old war time airfield where they fly gliders every day. There are woods and open green spaces all within a few hundred yards too. Where we live is all green space with a little bit of town, not even city! The great thing is though, you can be in central London in 40 minutes and that's got that great world city feel.
Your room is a double room, with a metal frame double bed. It has a build in double sliding wardrobe and an en-suite bathroom, with a toilet, sink and shower. You'll have your own TV and satellite hard drive system. So I guess all you need is your clothes, books, music, DVDs, etc. You won't need any furniture, I don't think. Oh, you'll have a bedside table too. That room overlooks the garden, road and woods behind. We have a small grass back garden. Fortunately all the green spaces around mean that's not such a hardship that it's small, it's big enough for BBQs and some kids play equipment, so it's all good!

We can't think of anything else!

Do you mind if we ask a few more questions? This is a standard list we send to all potential au pairs.
1. Why do you want to be an au pair?
2. If you've been an au pair before, what was the best thing about this experience?
3. Did you have sole charge of the children?
4. What qualities do you have that will help you be good a au pair?
5. Have you ever been away from home for a long period of time? Did you get homesick?
6. If you were at home with our children and it was raining, what activities would you do to occupy the time?
7. Can you tell us what is your favourite sport, music, movie and book and why?
8. Also what other hobbies or interests do you have?
9. Can you provide references?
10. What first aid experience do you have?
11. Apart from wanting to look after our children, what do you want to achieve during your stay in England?
12. Is your health good, do you suffer from any allergies?
13. We have 2 pet cats, are you happy to be around them?
14. Do you have a boyfriend? If yes, how will you cope being so far away from him? (we ask this as one of our au-pairs left because she missed her boyfriend too much).
15. When could you start and when would you like to finish?
16. How do you feel about the prospect of driving in England?
17. What are your feelings on helping with household chores and occasional cooking?
18. What salary are you looking for?
19. Can you play a musical instrument?

There are no right or wrong answers, so have fun! Do you have any questions for us?

Regards,
Darren, wife &kids

Dear AuPair,

We are currently looking for an au pair to start in the middle of August 2012 and we can agree for how long, from 6 months to 2 years.

We are a happy family, I am the lucky husband of a beautiful wife and two beautiful twins, one boy and one girl. They turn 6 years old in July and are at full time school.

We live in a 5 bedroom house in Kenley, Surrey. 35 mins by train from Central London (Victoria or London Bridge stations). Croydon is a big town nearby and is good for shopping. We are 5 minutes drive (10 minute cycle, 20 minute walk) from our local train stations (choice of 3) and 5 minutes from the bus stop. Buses go to Caterham, Croydon, Purley and Bromley, amongst others.

What email address did they use?

Did you purchase travel tickets completely on your own, or did you use an agency recommended by your potential family?

removed address that appears to belong to the real person - dotti

nope, no agency.. he said he would pay for my ticket when i got there..

One of the best things to do is to ask to chat/talk on webcam with the family so that you can be sure who you are dealing with.

At this point, there are no strong indicators that this is a scam. It is very possible that this is the real person whose information was copied by the scammer using the name Darren Cooper.

Yeah, it's weird because I was on Skype with him, his wife ánd his kids! And we talked on the phone.
Just one question.. is it about money, the scam? Because he never asked me for money..
And he's on Facebook, Twitter etc..

The scammers are after money.

But the person you have been talking to, who uses a different email address than the scammers, is not necessarily a scammer.

Often scammers copy profiles and information from real people, to make their scams more believable.
In this case, it is very possible that you are in contact with the real person, who is not a scammer. The scammer who is listed here is an African scammer who has copied information from the real person.

So you think this is the real Darren?
I'm kinda scared now.. but I really really want to go!
Hope it's not a scam.. I mean, there's nothing in it for him I guess?

I have messaged some of our members who deal most with au pair scammers to see if they have any additional information, but the information so far does suggest this is the real person and not the scammer using that name.

Thank you so much!
If you got more information, please let me know

There is a Darren Cooper who appears to be a genuine man seeking an au pair; and a scammer who has copied this Darren Cooper's profile details.

The Darren Cooper who appears to be genuine:

1. Is offering the normal amount of pocket money for an au pair in the UK.
2. Wants an au pair who can speak good English.
3. Has twins who will be 6 years old in July.
4. Lives in Kenley, Surrey, a 35 minute train journey from Central London.
5. Writes in normal UK-English.

The fake Darren Cooper who is definitely a scammer:

1. Pretends to offer £400 per week.
2. Pretends that having an au pair who can speak a different language will be amazing for his children.
3. Pretends to have twins who would now be 4 years old, and who have already been to full time school for 2 years.
4. Originally states that he lives in Kenley Surrey, but then gives his address as 213 Mile End Road,
London E1 4NS - which is not a 35 minute train journey from Central London, but is actually in Central London.
5. Really lives in Nigeria, and writes emails in a typical Nigerian style.

Moreover, the scammer calling himself Darren Cooper always asks for money from au pairs, usually via a fake travel agency, stating that this money is necessary for a working permit or for other documents.

The Darren Cooper that you are in contact with is a different man to the known scammer.