2016: Scams Against Care.com Members were on the rise!

Check out our latest updated article on these scams, posted July 7, 2016.

The Daily Scam has written extensively about the scammers who have targeted Care.com members  offering their services to care for children, the elderly and dogs.  In these previous articles (see links below) we’ve detailed how these scams work and how to identify the tell-tale signs of a scam. We strongly recommend reading these articles if you are offering your services using Care.com or any other online posting service:

Update on Care.com Nanny Scams – March, 2015
Scams Targeting Care.com Users Again!
Nanny Scams Hit Care.com
Scams Targeting Care.com Dog Sitters

However, we have recently had a significant increase in the number of people contacting us at TheDailyScam.com to say they were targeted by these via text or email.  Since this is still a very active scam we have decided to post below many of the emails and texts that have come in recently so others can find them and see the tricks these criminals are using.  First something new on these scams…

1. In mid-January, 2016 a woman targeted by one of these advance fee, fake-check scammers was also sent malware by the scammer that successfully infected her computer and put her online banking at risk.  Fortunately, the Care.com tech support staff was savvy enough to recognize the issue and help her resolve it.  We had never before heard of these scammers sending malware in the 18 months we’ve been reporting on these scams.
2. We’re happy to inform readers about an additional tool to use if they suspect a scam.  It is a “reverse image” search tool called TinEye.com.  Scammers will often try to “legitimize” their scams by sending a bogus photograph.  The most common photograph used in these scams is this photo of a mother and her young wheelchair-bound son.  This exact photo was used as early as September, 2014.  When we upload this image and ask TinEye.com to find it on the Internet we learn that the photo appeared on ScamWarners.com in April, 2015, adding suspicions to the authenticity of this mother and her son.
3. TDS has reviewed dozens of these scams submitted by readers and many of them include the phrase “All i need from you is your total honesty and sincerity.” (or similar)

We want readers to notice that most of these scams share several key elements that make you suspicious immediately that you are dealing with a scam:

1. The person contacting you is moving to your area from out of town or out of the country.
2. The person contacting you wants to send you money in advance, with very little information from you.
3. If you try to arrange to Facetime or Skype you’ll be ignored or presented with excuses why it is not possible, e.g. “hard of hearing”

The following information is reported unedited from our readers with the most recent information first:

March 10, 2016 we received these screenshots from a reader who asked to remain anonymous.
Sent from Nancy Williams, williamsnancy12345@gmail.com,  847-756-8694

March 9, 2016 from a reader named Karah who writes:

Luckily I felt wary of this email from the start and decided to try and search for their names on fb, linkedin, etc., when I came up with nothing I typed both their names in search and found your webpage with an eerily similar/exact duplicate [minor information changed] email someone else received.  So glad your site exists. Thanks a bunch, here’s my copy of their conversation…

Email from Emily Ferguson (emilyxle789@gmail.com)  and cell number 678-208-8209:

March 6, 2016 from a reader named Jamie:

On Mar 6, 2016 8:21 AM, “Bailey Bean” <goputed@aol.com> wrote:
Good Morning,
How are you doing?I will be needing you for my Son Ken. My name is Bailey Bean and my husband’s name is Jerry Bean .Ken is a great kid and easy to get along with.He is sweet, loving boy who loves play, be outside,go to parks, go on walks and just have fun. He is 4 years old, very bright, engaging, and love to explore his surroundings.He is free eater, well cultured, very well behaved and well mannered and he is not allergy to food or anything. We are looking for someone who will be caring, kind, and patient with him.This offer is for someone of well mannered attitudes, neatness and good sense of relationship, so if you are interested in this offer PLEASE answer the following  questions below:
1,Which area do you currently stay in?(zipcode or area)
2, What are your charges per hour?*
3,Do you have any special attitude? *
4,Do you have a valid drivers license? *
5,How old are you ? *
6,Do you have any crime records? *
7,Do you have an open availability? *
8,Are you married?  *
9,What are your likes and dislikes in kids?*
10,Can you tell us more about you?*
11,Do you want morning or afternoon shift?*

I will like to share more information about our son Ken and they are below:
.. He has no problem with dogs or cats
.. His favorite foods are cinnamon-raisin toast, peanut butter, skim milk, salmon burger, whole-wheat roll, mayonnaise, leaves romaine, sweet potato fries, orange, wheat penne, olive oil, fresh tomatoes, basil, 1 whole-milk mozzarella + steamed or salted green beans with olive oil, strawberries, ice cream, tofu
.. His favorite snacks are Mamultigrain crackers, almonds, carrot sticks, hummus, blueberries, nonfat plain yogurt, toasted wheat germ, honey, sweet potato fries.
.. He loves cartoon
.. He is nap taker
.. He loves color
…His favorite books are Where the wild things are; Barnyard Boogie; The Gruffalo
.. You can take him to anywhere of your choice
.. If he gets bored, you can allow him to  play with his toys

We want you to work for up to 4 hrs/day  and 4-5 times in a week depending on your schedule and availablility.I want you to answer the above questions
Bailey & Jerry Bean

Jamie replied with the information requested.  Then, later on March 6 received the following email:
On Mar 6, 2016 6:13 PM, “Bailey Bean” <goputed@aol.com> wrote:
Good Evening,
After a lengthy discussion with my husband, we decided to choose you for this job and we hope you will do this job diligently,the good news is that we got a new apartment in Redondo beach area which will make it easier for both of us because we are not far from each other.We agree with your charges per hour and your schedule for this job.We also decided to give you one week advance payment to show our commitment to you so as to have you booked and secured prior to our arrival because we are rounding off plans and allotting money to issues that should be settled before we arrived but unfortunately my Mother in-law died some hours ago, so we will be traveling for the burial anytime from now,the burial is slated for this week,we will be so busy with the  burial of my mother-in-law because she will be finally laid to rest this week but we will be there with you on Sunday March 13th,and you can start the next day. We decided to give you one week advance payment to show our commitment to you,we don’t want to owe you when we get there because we plan ahead for our bills and there is something else you will help us with and we will be happy if you can do it for us.We will issue your one week advance payment plus the Landlord'(Rent) payment as we will be busy with the burial of my mother-in-law because she will be buried this week and the landlord told us there are other people who are interested in the apartment and we don’t want to lose the apartment for any reason,the apartment look perfect for my family and  it is nearer to you.We will issue the check in your name,so when you clear the check you will deduct your one week advance payment and help and pay the landlord on our behalf and get the keys and the receipt for us,we would have handled this ourselves but because we will be busy with the burial we can’t and the landlord needs someone that can get the keys physically and we just have to entrust you with this.If we don’t pay the house rent this week he will give the apartment to another person and we don’t want that.This really a trying time for us.We will be so happy if you do this for us,we will need the below information from you:

1*Your Full name,
2*Address
3*Apartment#
4*Cell Phone number

We will send you the landlord’s contact information and the apartment address to you as soon as soon as the check clears.You will deduct your one week advance payment,pay the landlord and get the keys and the receipt from the landlord.I hope you will show us many beautiful places when we get there and we will let you know if we need your help in one way or the other to make our relocation a smooth one.When we get there you will get to know us well,i attached the picture of myself and my son Ken to this email so you will have a clue of what we look like.Keep us in your prayers.
Bailey & Jerry Bean

February 17, 2016 from a reader who asked to remain anonymous:

From: Brendon Sklar <gtskeep@outlook.com>
Date: Tue, Feb 16, 2016 at 8:12 AM
Subject: RE: Dog walk services
Thanks for your email and respond toward the Dog Walker position, Am sorry for my late response I’m Brendon Sklar me and my family are relocating to the City from Spain.We are coming there to do some contract basis with my research for Marriott Holdings.I’m relocating to the USA for 3 yrs on my research and arrangement has been made with my Wife uncle who has helped us to buy a house before he passed away last week ,Now i need someone who could help look after our dog.He has been sent to the ASPCA institute, It came to our attention that our dog hasn’t been taking care off up to our expectation.Now we want to take him out .I will be offering you $300 a week to help us take care of him,before our arrival which would be in two weeks time.I need to get you informed that i have financier in the state who will be handling payment for your service,if you be interested in working with Sklar ‘s family i will like you to get back to me with requested information
below. Our dog is a 3years old Border Collie..

So Fill This Application And Email It Back Here Asap!!!

First Name______________________
Middle Name If Any___________________________
Last Name_____________________________
Full Street Address with apt#_____________________________
Apt #_____________________________
City, State, Zip Code______________________________________
Sex________Age_________
Cell Phone Number (___)___________________________________
Home Phone Number(___)___________________________________
Email:____________________________
Current Job:____________________________

I want you to fill your daily schedule so i will know when you will be available for for this position..

Monday:
Tuesday:
Wednesday:
Thursday:
Friday:
Saturday:
Sunday:

All we need from you is total honesty and sincerity. I know you will be committed to the work, You will also have a nice period of working with my Family. I will be waiting to hear from you.

Best Regards,
Brendon Sklar

February 12, 2016 from a reader who asked to remain anonymous:

The scammers are adapting their scam, though we are not sure why.  On February 7 we received the information in the right-hand graphic from a woman about a fake-check scam in which she was asked to deliver funds to two different people in Houston, Texas –after taking her “payment,” of course. We had never heard of the split payment before and thought it was strange.  The person reporting this scam did not send all the details on it.  On the right is a photograph of the scammer’s instructions and on the left a photo of the bogus check.  Fortunately, this person recognized that this was a scam.

Doesn’t that check from First National Bank look real?  We spoke to Ryan at First National Bank about it.  He informed us that this Cashier’s check scam has been copied and used more than 500 times during the last 2-3 years.  The name on the check has been forged.  The criminals keep changing the account numbers used on the fake check and then print more.
Why is it important that we share this variation of a scam we have seen dozens of times over?  Read this sad story by a young woman we will call “Meredith” and you’ll see that the criminals now have a new variation of the scam…

There are so many red flags throughout these emails. The poor english and grammar skills was a huge thing I noticed but I disregarded it thinking that they were not very tech-savy or that maybe English was just their second language.

 

This is a copy of the check they sent me, I’m sorry I couldn’t scan it, my scanner is broken.

The bank that issued the check was Silver State Schools Credit Union and amounted to $2,695. This check seemed legit enough to me that I did not question it, which was yet another foolish mistake from my part.

 

These text messages from “Marie” is the whole conversation up to today, when I found out they sent me a fraudulent check:

February 7, 2016 from a reader who asked to remain anonymous:

Good afternoon,
I am writing to let you know that the individual using the email address “talk2alexes777@gmail.com” has also targeted me. The game goes as such:

I received a text message from an individual who called herself “Sandra” at 208-549-6445. The message as written exactly: “Hi my name is sandra,i saw your Post on care.com. My friend Alexes Needs a Caregiver for her dog. kindly Email her at: talk2alexes777@gmail.com for more info”.

Apprehensive, I emailed “Alexes” at the address provided. I received this response from “Alexis Winchester”:

“Hello,
Am glad to read from you and since you were refereed by Sandra, I feel comfortable discussing with you as it concerns the comfort of my lovely pet Buddy.

How are you doing today ? your services are being needed, i told my sister to scout for a Caregiver for Buddy, My name is Alexis my Husband’s name is James, we are easy going,very kind and we love to laugh.I need a Caregiver for Buddy,i am relocating with my husband to your neighborhood from Puerto Rico, I recently got a contract with a company on a private research job.

However, i need someone that will help in running some few errands and pet sitting for Buddy,i need someone mature, young or older, loves pets, reliable and punctual, You will take care of a year old German Shepherd for three days a week and will have to take him on walks,feed him meals and brush his hair,most importantly keep him clean,safe and comfortable while we are away. My pet is my life so i want to believe i can entrust you to give him the best care.

Please State your location (i.e the closest Major Intersection to your home)

I will be offering you $300 weekly;I would schedule you to care for Buddy during weekdays only i.e Mondays Tuesdays and Fridays 3 hrs daily. If you believe you are fit for this position in as much you will prove yourself to be a

reliable and good person, i will inform my husband financial clerk to write you a check to pay you upfront to secure your services in advance.
I will be waiting to hear from you.

Warmest Regards”

February 3, 2016 from a reader who asked to remain anonymous:
Good Afternoon
After a lengthy discussion with my husband, we decided to choose you for this job and we hope you will do this job diligently,the good news is that we got a new apartment in Katy area which will make it easier for both of us because we are not far from each other.We agree with your charges per hour and your schedule for this job.We also decided to give you one week advance payment to show our commitment to you so as to have you booked and secured prior to our arrival because we are rounding off plans and allotting money to issues that should be settled before we arrived but unfortunately my Mother in-law died some hours ago, so we will be traveling for the burial anytime from now,the burial is slated for this week,we will be so busy with the  burial of my mother-in-law because she will be finally laid to rest this week but we will be there with you on Tuesday February 9th,and you can start the next day. We decided to give you one week advance payment to show our commitment to you,we don’t want to owe you when we get there because we plan ahead for our bills and there is something else you will help us with and we will be happy if you can do it for us.We will issue your one week advance payment plus the Landlord'(Rent) payment as we will be busy with the burial of my mother-in-law because she will be buried this week and the landlord told us there are other people who are interested in the apartment and we don’t want to lose the apartment for any reason,the apartment look perfect for my family and  it is nearer to you.We will issue the check in your name,so when you clear the check you will deduct your one week advance payment and help and pay the landlord on our behalf and get the keys and the receipt for us,we would have handled this ourselves but because we will be busy with the burial we can’t and the landlord needs someone that can get the keys physically and we just have to entrust you with this.If we don’t pay the house rent this week he will give the apartment to another person and we don’t want that.This really a trying time for us.We will be so happy if you do this for us,we will need the below information from you:

1*Your Full name,
2*Address
3*Apartment#
4*Cell Phone number

We will send you the landlord’s contact information and the apartment address to you as soon as soon as the check clears.You will deduct your one week advance payment,pay the landlord and get the keys and the receipt from the landlord.I hope you will show us many beautiful places when we get there and we will let you know if we need your help in one way or the other to make our relocation a smooth one.When we get there you will get to know us well,i attached the picture of myself and my son Ken to this email so you will have a clue of what we look like.Keep us in your prayers.
Bailey & Jerry Fulgham

Submitted February 2, 2016 from a reader who asked to remain anonymous:
Hello,
Thanks for Getting back to me,yes u are so right about your service been needed . I am relocating to your neighborhood from FLORIDA. I recently got a

contract with a company on a private research job. However i need someone that will help me in running some few errands and pet sitting.

I need someone to work 5 days per week 4 hours per day, someone that is mature whether young or older, loves pets, reliable and punctual. You will

take care of a yr old Australian Terrier for 5 days a week and will have to take him on a walk, give him a bath, meals while we are away.
Responsibilities for him will be to look after him, feed him meals, bath, keep him clean and safe. My pet is my life so i entrust you to give him the best care..

I will be offering you $500 weekly, i will be needing your services for 4 hours at any suitable time of yours between Monday-friday If you believe you are fit for

this position in as much you will prove yourself to be a reliable and good person, I will instruct my financial to pay for the first week before our

arrival so as to secure your service in advance.No problem about working for us and, we will be living close to your neighborhood. I and my family would be coming into town on the 24th of February so let me know when its most convenient for you to start and also my financial Clerk will make out a check to you before our arrival. You will receive a Certified Check which you will deduct your wages of $500 for the first week and the remaining funds will be used to buy foodstuffs and other things needed in the house. You will be getting the foodstuffs and some other items which you believe might be needed on or before the day of our arrival which will be the 24th of Feruary. Actually our flights from Texas will arrive at night so you will be getting the foodstuffs in the morning and making all other preparations.

I will also instruct my estate agent to mail the keys of the apartment to you so as to do all other necessary preparations before we arrive. You have to get all this shopping before our arrival so that we wont have to start running around when we arrive, So my financial Clerk would be needing the following information to make out the check payment.

Full Name:
Full address with zip-code & Apt Number:
Age:
Gender:
Phone number:
Acceptance of offer:

All i need from you is total honesty and sincerity. I know you will be committed to the work, You will also have a nice period of time working with::))

Submitted January 30, 2016 from a reader who asked to remain anonymous:
From: Alexis Winchester <talk2alexes777@gmail.com>
Date: 01/25/2016 1:50 PM (GMT-05:00)
Subject: CARE FOR BUDDYHello,

January 28, 2016 from Brittany:
My name is Brittany.  I signed up for the care.com website about a month ago and it wasn’t long until I got a job offer through text from a “lady” named Samantha Smith for Saturdays and Sundays  9-4. The job was for $25/hr and being a broke college student I could not refuse! After exchanging some emails and with my parents guidance I checked her and the story she gave me out online. It seems that “Samantha Smith” and many of her/his false names have been using the same family picture and sob story of how she is deaf and her six year old son (Cole) who looks eight is in a wheelchair and needs a new one when they move to my area. She tried to con me into cashing a 1850 dollar check, instructing me to keep my first weekends pay (350) and to send the rest to a wheelchair company. I knew this was a huge red flag!!!

Samantha Smith (samanthasmith9856@gmail.com)
Hello,
Thanks for your response, I am glad to read from you. I am a single Mother of one lovely kid, Cole, he is 5. I attended Texas School for the Deaf where i achieved my highest qualification. I have my own business (Self Employed). I attend the catholic. We are in the process of relocating to your area. I am 42 and i am hard of hearing. I work based on the development and counseling of the deaf people in the community, i am moving to your area in few weeks and i really need a honest and responsible care for Cole.

More importantly, Cole is currently placed on a wheelchair due to an accident he had some months ago. He can walk a few distance though but the specialist advised he uses the chair for a while and i am planning on getting him a powered wheelchair and have contacted a seller. You will care for him starting 6th of February. I will appreciate if you can tell me a few things about yourself and maybe attach one or two pictures of you, below are your duties:

Cooking for Cole
Caring for Cole
Cleaning Cole

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. the last couple of months hasn’t been good and i wouldn’t want to get stocked with my Son on arrival so i`m willing to make a deposit to you ahead of time to ensure a secured appointment to avoid disappointment. The total cost of your pay per weekend is $350($25/hour x 7hours/day = $175/day x 2days). I want to inform  you that i have a seminar i will be attending to as soon as i arrive and will be having an interview section with you immediately i arrive with Cole.

Also i will like to include your pay to our payroll for the period(you are not paying tax). I will be needing the following information below to issue out the check to you and i need your direct mobile number so i can text you in case i need to pass an urgent information:

Name:
Address:
City:
State:
Zip Code:
Phone #:

I have made some arrangements with the wheelchair seller, so as soon as you get the payment, you will deduct $350 for your first week and have the rest sent to the wheelchair seller for delivery as soon as the check clears, i hope Cole will have the best of time while he is in your care and i hope you will treat him right just like yours. Get back to me as i have a lot of stuffs to put in place prior to my arrival. I look forward to hearing back from you. Below is a picture of myself and Cole.
Thank you and God bless

January 27, 2016 from Roni:
I am in the middle of a situation where I was sent a text from someone (how she got my number is still baffling.)

On Jan 25, 2016, at 10:51 PM, Anne Cornett <annecornett09@gmail.com> wrote:
Good day to You,

How are you doing?  I’m Anne and my husband name is Richard,I ask my friend to help me seek a Babysitter and housekeepers. We are relocating to your neighborhood from Australia.We recently got a contract with a company on a private research job. However, We need someone  that will  help in running some few errands and babysitting.

Which city and sur-burbs are you?

We need someone to work  3 days per week 4 hours per day and job includes to pick up of our baby from daycare a few blocks away,someone that is mature whether young or older, loves children, reliable and punctual. The Nanny will take care of of a 2yr old boy for three days a week and will have to take baby home, give him a bath, dinner brush his hair, clean his lunch kit/bag, put back pack away school clothes away and monitor him with the best care possible.We are willing to provide a metro card to pick him up at daycare. responsibilities for baby will be to look after him feed him meals, bath, keep him clean safe and of course change diapers regularly. My kid is my life so i entrust you to give him the best care..

I will be offering you $450 weekly, i will be needing your services for 4 hours at any suitable time of yours between Monday,Tuesday Wednesday,Thursday and Friday. If you believe you are fit for this position in as much you will prove yourself to be a reliable and good person, I will instruct my financial to pay for the first  week before our arrival so as to secure your service in advance.

I will be waiting to hear from you.

After Roni made contact with “Anne Cornett” she received this email:

From: Anne Cornett <annecornett09@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: Childcare
Date: January 26, 2016 at 4:20:35 PM EST

No problem about working for me ,we will be living in Winter Springs i and my family would be coming into town on the 15th of February.so let me know when its most convenient for you to start and also my financial Clerk will make out a check to you before our arrival. You will receive a Cashier’s check which you will deduct your wages of $450 for the first  week and the remaining funds will be used to buy foodstuffs and other things needed in the house. You will be getting the foodstuffs on or before the day of our arrival which will be the 15th of February. Actually our flights from Australia will arrive at night so you will be getting the foodstuffs in the morning and making all other preparations.

I will also instruct my estate agent to mail the keys of the apartment to you so as to do all other necessary preparations before we arrive. You have to get all this shopping before our arrival so that we wont have to start running around when we arrive, So my financial Clerk would be needing the following Information to make out the check payment.

Full Name:
Full address with zip-code & Apt Number:
Age:
Gender:
Phone number:
Acceptance of offer:

All I need from you is total honesty and sincerity. I know you will be committed to the work, You will also have a nice period of time working with me and my husband.

And this email…

From: Anne Cornett <annecornett09@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: Child care
Date: January 26, 2016 at 7:44:09 PM EST

You have to get all this shopping before our arrival so that we wont have to start running around when we arrive, So my financial Clerk would be needing the following Information to make out the check payment.

Full Name:
Full address with zip-code & Apt Number:
Age:
Gender:
Phone number:
Acceptance of offer:

On January 26, 2016 from Megan (her 2nd contact from scammers in 3 days)
Megan sent us a screenshot of a text from the scammers.  She has been contacted several times via text, this one from phone 908-345-2481 and using email address janadaroberts123@gmail.com.

Received on January 26, 2016 from Jessica:

From: diana richard <lisa.richard111@outlook.com>
Date: Tue, Jan 26, 2016 at 8:54 AM
Subject: MORE DETAILS!!!

Thanks for replying. My name is Diana . Am from Pennsylvania, live in Erie, with my family but i`m moving to your area on 11th of February and i will need a nanny for my son immediately. His name is Joe 5 years old and the time would be from 9 am to 4pm Saturdays and Sundays only. This is a long term position but its fine to start temporary. Some weekdays are also flexible if you are available but we may need to discuss that in person. I`m willing to pay $18/hour. I believe its a great pay and i`m paying that much because i want quality care for my son. The start date is 13th of February. I lost my husband and 2 years old baby last December. It was my late husband`s birthday and he decided to take the kids out while i was still at work. joe happens to be the only survival from the accident but his currently using a wheelchair. I have had terrible times in the last few months and this is one of the reasons i have decided to move because staying here brings back some sad memories. Kindly be honest if you have experience with childcare because i want the best care for joe. I`m hard of hearing and can only communicate via writing, reading lips or text messaging. I hope that isn’t a problem? I`m easy going and love to laugh. I can send you a picture of me and joe in my next email. It will be nice to read about you. I want a nanny who is willing to be a friend and family and also note that i have a few applicants for this position but i made you our first choice so i wouldn’t appreciate a waste of time. Make sure to include your complete name, address including zip code and cell phone number in your next response so i could check the map to read the distance between us also to have your address on file. You may ask questions in case you have any. I await your quick response.

Thank you!
Diana Richard

Received on January 25, 2016 from Stacy:

Received on January 23, 2016 from Megan.  She gave us permission to use her own words here…

Yes, I have unfortunately fallen victim to the scandalous seas of Care.com. The website itself seems to be safe and welcoming, yet after this very recent encounter with who I believe to be “The Notorious Bamboozle-er” I feel that these VERY REAL nanny scams should become way more publicized. I need my story to be put out there so other young women don’t fall victim to the relentlessness of these scammers and their bank accounts in thousands of dollars of debt. Don’t be fooled by all of their tom trickery- the sob stories, the “moving to your area” stories, the advanced check to cover your first weeks pay- but the rest of this lump sum check is entrusted to you to cover some sort of expense for the child (in my case it was for the “toy seller.” Little did I know the “toy seller” is code word for the Notorious Scammer. My bank account is so high in debt right now that my bank CLOSED my account & told me they didn’t have to give me a reason for closing on me, just as I don’t have to give a reason for going into their bank and close my own account. All thanks to this beautifully packaged bullshit nanny scammer by the name of Bailey Weekley, she even had a husband Jerry Weekley and a son named Ken Weekley. All of which are made up people/names. If I would have done just a LITTLE RESEARCH before depositing that “Too Good To Be True” check, I would have seen just how too good it was and been able to avoid this ugly truth. I’m a smart girl, and normally I would have seen right through the scam.. but I saw what I wanted to see & now I feel so stupid and literally there are no take-backs once you follow through with the pushy scammer’s plans. My bank thinks I intentionally deposited a fraudulent check, so hopefully the police report along with ALL the evidence I had for the report will help me to redeem my debt-free history. Most likely I will end up having to pay the money back, which totally sucks. I will forward the emails I have to you guys, hoping you will make a difference!!

On Monday, January 10, 2016, Bailey Weekley <goputed@aol.com> wrote:
Good Evening,
How are you doing?I will be needing you for my Son Ken. My name is Bailey Weekley and my husband’s name is Jerry Weekley . Ken  is a great kid and easy to get along with.He is sweet, loving boy who loves play, be outside,go to parks, go on walks and just have fun. He is 4 years old, very bright, engaging, and love to explore his surroundings.He is free eater, well cultured, very well behaved and well mannered and he is not allergy to food or anything. We are looking for someone who will be caring, kind, and patient with him.This offer is for someone of well mannered attitudes, neatness and good sense of relationship, so if you are interested in this offer PLEASE answer the following  questions below:

1,Which area do you currently stay in?(zipcode or area)
2, What are your charges per hour?*
3,Do you have any special attitude? *
4,Do you have a valid drivers license? *
5,How old are you ? *
6,Do you have any crime records? *
7,Do you have an open availability? *
8,Are you married?  *
9,What are your likes and dislikes in kids?*
10,Can you tell us more about you?*
11,Do you want morning or afternoon shift?*

I will like to share more information about our son Ken and they are below:
.. He has no problem with dogs or cats
.. His favorite foods are cinnamon-raisin toast, peanut butter, skim milk, salmon burger, whole-wheat roll, mayonnaise, leaves romaine, sweet potato fries, orange, wheat penne, olive oil, fresh tomatoes, basil,

1 whole-milk mozzarella + steamed or salted green beans with olive oil, strawberries, ice cream, tofu

.. His favorite snacks are Mamultigrain crackers, almonds, carrot sticks, hummus, blueberries, nonfat plain yogurt, toasted wheat germ, honey, sweet potato fries.
.. He loves cartoon
.. He is nap taker
.. He loves color
..His favorite books are Where the wild things are; Barnyard Boogie; The Gruffalo
.. You can take him to anywhere of your choice
.. If he gets bored, you can allow him to  play with his toys

We want you to work for up to 4 hrs/day  and 4-5 times in a week depending on your schedule and availablility.I want you to answer the above questions
Bailey & Jerry Weekley

On Monday, January 11, 2016, 7:32 AM, Bailey Weekley <goputed@aol.com> wrote:
Good Morning
After a lengthy discussion with my husband, we decided to choose you for this job and we hope you will really take good care of Ken and we agreed with your fee,the good news is that we got a new apartment in Conroe area.We have decided to give you one week advance payment to show our commitment to you so as to have you booked and secured prior to our arrival, as I am rounding off plans and allotting money  to issues that should be settled before we arrived but unfortunately my Mother in-law died some hours ago, so we will be traveling for the burial anytime from now, the burial is slated for this week,we will be so busy with the  burial of my mother because she will be finally laid to rest this week but we will be there with you on Monday January 18th, and you can start the next day. We have decided to give you one week advance payment to  show our commitment to you and again we want to do this so that when we get there we don’t want to owe you any funds,we plan ahead for our bills,also we will need your help,Ken is addicted to some special toys and we ordered some toys which will make him settle well over there because of relocation,We instruct our Debtor to add the money for your one week advance payment plus Ken’s toys to the check that will be sent to you ,so when you clear the check you will deduct your one week pay and help pay the toy seller the remaining funds so that the toys can be delivered to you prior to our arrival, hope you can do this for us.Ken is our only child and he loves toys so much and we are ready to provide him with different kind of toys to make him settle well over there.I believe you will be fit for this position  in as much you will prove yourself to be a reliable and good person

I will be needing some Information to make out a check to you for your one week pay to you immediately upon your acceptance of the Job, I will need the following below:

1*Your Full name,
2*Address(Apartment# if any)
3*Cell Phone number.

If my husband  and I are pleased with your service within 2 weeks, there will be other incentives.We will let you know if we need your help in one way or the other to make our relocation a smooth one, When we get  there you will meet Ken and get to know more about him. I attached  picture of Ken,and I to this e-mail so that you will have an idea of how he looks like
Bailey & Jerry Weekley

From: Bailey Weekley <goputed@aol.com>
Date: January 15, 2016 at 7:27:31 AM CST
Subject: Re: Bailey, nanny position

Good morning,
i am sorry for not getting back to you sooner,on our way to the burial we were involve in a car accident that left my husband and i very injured,thank God Ken escaped and he is fine but my husband and i have a serious injuries and we are currently at the hospital receiving treatment,we will be discharged on Tuesday 19th and we will be there on 21th which is Thursday for sure.you can start the next day.

Also i want to notify you the check has been mailed out and you will get the check Today through USPS(POSTAL SERVICE),when you received the check i want you to go and deposit it immediately,when the check clears you will deduct $300 for yourself as part of one week pay and the rest will go for the toy seller,i will send the landlord’s information as soon as the check clears and i will send you the full address of where we will staying as soon as we are discharged from the hospital.I believe you will help and take care of everything before we arrive and we really thank you for your help.Ken can’t wait to meet you.Let me know you got my email and i want you to text me on 440-374-7414. Thank you for your patience and understanding and keep us in your prayers.
Bailey & Jerry Weekley

Also received from Megan on January 24, 2016:

On Thursday, January 14, 2016, 4:49 PM, rose davis <rose.davis366@outlook.com> wrote:

Thanks for replying. My name is Rose . Am from   Pennsylvania, live in  Erie, with my family but i`m   moving to your area on 21st of January and i will need a   nanny for my son immediately. His name is Joe 5 years   old and the time would be from 9 am to 4pm Saturdays and   Sundays only. This is a long term position but its fine   to start temporary. Some weekdays are also flexible if   you are available but we may need to discuss that in   person. I`m willing to pay $18/hour. I believe its a   great pay and i`m paying that much because i want   quality care for my son. The start date is 23rd of   January.      I lost my husband and 2 years old baby last   December. It was my late husband`s birthday and he   decided to take the kids out while i was still at work.   joe happens to be the only survival from the accident   but his currently using a wheelchair. I have had   terrible times in the last few months and this is one of   the reasons i have decided to move because staying here brings back some sad memories.   Kindly be honest if you have experience with childcare   because i want the best care for joe. I`m hard of   hearing and can only communicate via writing, reading   lips or text messaging. I hope that isn’t a problem? I`m   easy going and love to laugh. I can send you a picture   of me and joe in my next email.     It will be nice to read about you. I want a nanny   who is willing to be a friend and family and also note   that i have a few applicants for this position but i   made you our first choice so i wouldn’t appreciate a   waste of time. Make sure to include your complete name,   address including zip code and cell phone number in your   next response so i could check the map to read the   distance between us also to have your address on file.     You may ask questions in case you have any.

I await   your quick response.
Thank you!
Rose Davis

Received on January 7 from Carla:

On Sun, Jan 3, 2016 at 6:04 PM, Emily Ferguson <3milycares@gmail.com> wrote:
Hello,
Happy New year to you!  I’m Emily and my husband’s name is Darren Ferguson and Annabel my 18 months old daughter. I told my sister to help me find a Caregiver and housekeeper. We are making a transition to your neighborhood in United States from Dublin, Ireland this Winter. However, We need someone  that will  help in running some few errands pending our arrival and babysitting upon our arrival.

I will like to know your zip code so i can calculate your distance to our new address, We want to have someone that live within 5 miles from ours.

I will need someone to work  5  days a week 4 hours each day with fairly flexible schedule of 9am -1pm for morning or 4pm – 8pm for evenings (weekdays) or  Weekends (F-S)  I would like the support to begin January 18th, 2016 and estimate 20 hours per week. The activities of daily living performed by the caregiver will include bathing, grooming, groceries & light shopping, housekeeping, and companionship for my 18 months old daughter. I will be offering you $20/hr and Only serious applicants will be considered. A great opportunity to work privately in a loving home, while earning more. Thank you for reaching out to me and I look forward to hearing from you!
Happy Holiday!
Regards,
Emily Ferguson

On Mon, Jan 4, 2016 at 5:10 AM, Emily Ferguson <3milycares@gmail.com> wrote:

I could see you won’t have to travel far as you live  close to our new address. I need you to either work in Morning ( 9am- 1pm) or afternoon (4pm to 8pm)  Is the hours and the payment of $20/hr suitable for you? We need someone to assist with our transition plans with errands like helping receive the items that will be needed in the house before we arrived. I will hold a meeting with you before you start watching my kid. If you’re pleased with this I will speak to my husband about hiring you and get back to you in the morning with his answer. Happy holiday!

On Tue, Jan 5, 2016 at 6:33 AM, Emily Ferguson <3milycares@gmail.com> wrote:

Hello, I spoke to my husband about you and he gave me a nod about hiring you to take care of our child. I will be glad to have you as my daughter’s caregiver. I am in need of assistance , M- F , Weekends is optional (12-6pm). I would like the support to begin on January 18th, 2016, so let me know when its most convenient for you to start and also my financial Clerk will make out a check to you before our arrival. You will receive a Cashier’s check from our Financial Clerk, which you will deduct your wages of $400 for the first  week and the remaining funds will be used to buy foodstuffs and other things needed in the house. You will be getting the foodstuffs before  our arrival on 18th, January.  Our flights from Ireland will arrive at night so you will be receiving the home items in the morning.

I will also instruct our estate agent to mail the keys of the apartment to you so as to do all other necessary preparations before we arrive. You have to get all this house items before our arrival so that we won’t have to start running around when we arrive.  My financial Clerk would be needing the following Information to make out the check payment.
Full Name:
Full mailing address with zip-code & Apt Number:
Phone number:
Acceptance of offer:

All I need from you is total honesty and sincerity. I know you will be committed to the work, You will also have a nice period of time working with me and my husband.
Regards,
Emily Ferguson.

From: Emily Ferguson <3milycares@gmail.com>
Date: Wednesday, January 6, 2016
Subject: Babysitter

Happy New year  to you and your family!  I will like to share a little about myself. I have been married for 5 years now after knowing my husband since school days and i am from Seattle, Washington, while He’s from Dublin,Ireland. We are good Christians, we have a 18 months old daughter her name is Annabel and we expect you to work for us for as long as you want….. I promise to let you know as soon as payment is mailed out for your assignment to start  and also regarding the items needed in our new home, the store manager have the list you will only be receiving them and put them in the home before we arrived. I will let you know as soon as i get a confirmation of that from my husband meanwhile we are moving in  on the 18th, January and we expect you to start working after our arrival ..
Happy Holiday!

The scammer pretending to be “Emily Ferguson” sent Carla this photograph.  As of January 28, neither TinEye nor Google reverse image search could identify it.

Received on January 6, 2016 from a woman who asked that we not publish her name:

I recently reactivated my care.com profile and received a text today…

Good morning, happy new year… How are you doing today? I am writing you this text in reference to your post on a site that I can get care for my first child Nikky of 4 years old. We are looking for a loving, responsible and experienced babysitter/nanny to care for our adorable 4 years old daughter for some few hours from Monday to Friday. Let me know your available time per day. You can contact us at my personal email for more information about this position. I will be paying $300 weekly. EMAIL ME BACK RIGHT NOW TO MY PERSONAL EMAIL FOR MORE DETAILS ABOUT THE JOB..

So I did, I thought the message was kinda weird but maybe they don’t have the best English, nothing wrong with that… This is the response I got to my email…

“Good day….

How are you doing today ?. I am glad for your quick response and for your interest in taking care of my daughter { Nikky } .. I am sorry to let you know that i have gotten a nanny for my daughter { Nikky } and will no longer be needing your service anymore for the nanny position. I am very sorry for this, But i do have a personal assistant position available for you , if you are interested in working for me as my personal assistant . Here are the details about the personal assistant position i am offering you .

Do take time to go through this introductory mail and feel free to pass any questions on. I have had a previous Personal Assistant worker who has been very commendable in her activities and who has been part of my life for the past 6 months, she has since moved on with her personal life and it has affected me in a way. I found her previously on the Sittercity website and I sincerely hope I will be able to find someone again who will be as efficient as she has been.

Please note that you are being hired only on a personal level. All correspondences would be made and promptly reported to me personally. The position is part time and home-based meaning you can work most times from your home as long as you have a regular internet access. You are also hired on a trial basis for now until we are able to see how well we fit in, this however does not affect your weekly wage. I would like to know where you are located because i would love to meet up with you to talk about this job but I am currently away on a business trip. I am in Australia so there will be no much to talk about than to give you the job description.

I will prepay you in advance to do my shopping. I will also have my mails and packages forwarded to your address. If you will be unable to stay at your house to get my mails, I can have it shipped to a post office near you and then you can pick it up at your convenience. When you get my mails / packages; you are required to mail them to where ever i want them mailed to. You don’t have to put money out of your pocket, all you have to do is have packages shipped to your house and do my shopping. You are allowed to open the packages to reveal its content. All expenses and taxes will be covered by me. You will work between 15 and 20 hrs a month. I will be paying $350.00 per week.

I need your service because I am constantly out of town. I will return back to the state real soon so this process will be on going till then. If you don’t mind, I will meet up with you when I return and then we can talk about the possibility of making this long term. Well, let me know if you are able to handle the position. No heavy packages is involved!. You can do the shopping at any nearest stores. You will be shopping for Electronics and clothing. I will provide you my personal UPS account number for Shipping. All you have to do is provide my account number to UPS and shipping charges will be applied into the account. I will provide clear set of instructions for each task I need done as well the funds to cover them. If I were to mail you money to do my shopping plus upfront payment for your service, where would you want it mailed to?. How should your name appear on the payment? and you MUST have a bank account where you will deposit the payment

{ important for this job } . Maybe you can provide me with the following details below;

Full Name :
Full Address: (NO P.O.BOX)
City, State , Zip-code :
Cell Phone Number :
Sex :
Age :
Email Address :
Choice of bank to affiliate:

I believe you should read clearly and understand the terms / conditions attached to this job because i wouldn’t want any mistakes to be made at anytime giving instructions OK. Remember like i’ve said that your weekly wages is $350. I’ll appreciate you get back to me to confirm your acceptance of this job if you are the trustworthy person i’m searching for in less than 24hrs, thanks and till i hear from you real soon stay bless…

I will be waiting to hear from right away….

NOTE : ALWAYS MAKE SURE YOU CHECK YOUR EMAIL AT LEAST 3 TIMES DAILY FOR ANY UPDATES FROM ME.

Thank You!!!
Honesty, loyalty and punctuality is my watchword.
May the almighty God bless you.”

Received on December 8, 2015 from Casey:
Hello The Daily Scam,
First I want to thank you because y’all saved me from a former article you wrote. I received this text message randomly on Dec. 8, 2015. I found it weird she wanted me to message her on care.com even though she texted me. I wasn’t sure how she got my number but I really didn’t question it. I had no idea how to look up a person on care.com so I sent her an email. Within less then 5 minutes I got a lengthy reply. I replied back and told her no thank you and that even though she seems nice I can’t trust anyone from online I don’t know. My boyfriend sent me a link to your site. I just wanted to send y’all this information!
(You’re welcome Casey!  ~TDS)

> From: Ruth Johnson <ruthj0099@gmail.com>
> Date: December 8, 2015 at 4:59:25 PM EST
> Subject: Re: Care.com

Thank you for responding to my text, I currently live in (albuquerque NM),  am moving to your area Dec 15 . I will need a babysitter for my 6 years old son Jason, immediately, depending on the time and hour you’ll be available for him and also need you for errands like paying bills, shopping for my mom, son and also pay for the furniture for our new home when is convenient for you.I’m willing to pay, let me know how much you want for the childcare and errand assistance. I’ll pay you separately for both because I will need to get somethings sorted before moving down, like furniture bills, mom bill and miscellaneous. It’s all flexible and simple errands that won’t affect your present job. I really need an honest and responsible person. This could be temporary/permanent job, I’m moving to a new house and I’ll need to fix the interior and new furniture set, and I have contacted the furniture company because I don’t know if you’ll like to stay in my house, you will be informed as soon as we finalize issues. Send me your complete name, address and cell phone number so I can include that to my payroll for the period, I am a single mother, 39 years old, I’m a member of the Catholic Church, you will get to know more when we meet eventually.so you can work as long as you want with me but you have to be honest. 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 and run errands should need be. The pay rate is $15/Hour you will be paid for her snacks/food daily or at the end of each week (which ever you prefer) so tell me what time will you be able to babysit him?I will like for us to meet on the evening of Dec 16, 2015 The start date is Dec 17  2015. We could meet at the McDonald’s closest to you. I once booked a nanny and on arrival she told me she got another job which was a big disappointment, I intend to commit you by paying 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 Jason, to enable things go perfectly without disappointment.before I move down which you will be paid for separately as noted on earlier mail, because some home interior need to paid for and pay some bills for my mom but you will do all this at the Walmart Store close to you. at this stage need all honesty and you will be glad working for my family.I will really 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 furniture company. The furniture and other little house interior cost $2150. I’ll have the Payroll Department mail you a check of $2,650 to cover all the expenses including your first week payment of ($15/hr x 5hrs/day = $75 x 5days a week= $375 plus your errand fee of $125.00,So altogether you will get $500 and that will be deducted from the $2,650 once you received the check..

I just want to confirm your information before I forward it to the Payroll Department so that you can start the errand before we arrive. I will need to make some payment for my mom bills, furniture and some house interior which done at the Walmart close to you, so it won’t be a stressful for you. The payment will be mail out probably as soon as possible . Kindly confirm that the below information for immediate processing of your check.

> Name:
> Home Address:
> City:
> State:
> Zip code:
> Cell Phone Number:

> The check will come with the total amount of $2,650. as earlier said, $375 goes for your first week deposit, while $125 is mark up for errand. I hope you have a working bank account where the check will be deposited when received? I will look for your email soon to ensure everything is clear so I can forward your information.Just to make it clearer, am entrusting you to this, kindly get back if any change of plans to this regards because I do not want a situation of disappointment and I don’t have the luxury of looking for another babysitter. I want someone faithful and will enjoy working with me.
> Ruth.

A final note from The Daily Scam… We have many more samples of this scam sent by others who were targeted in 2015 that we haven’t posted. We wish Care.com did more to raise awareness among its members.