INDIANAPOLIS-- The Federal Trade Commission has a warning out to consumers that scammers are using caregiver and babysitting sites to rip people off.
Typically the scammers will pressure you to act before you have time to think.
“Don’t do it — scammers post fake job listings for nannies and caregivers, then make up elaborate stories to get your money,” said Carol Kando-Pineda, an attorney with the FTC’s Division of Consumer and Business Education. “The positions seem real, but they’re not — it’s a scam. The check will bounce.”
According to the popular caregiver finding website Care.com, fraudsters are targeting people who are looking for nanny jobs, babysitting jobs and senior care jobs.
Red flags include if the person asks you to pay them via gift card or cash reload card.
According to Care.com, the most common types of scams include the “overpayment scam” and the “pay in advance scam” in which they trick you into sending money.
Red flags include if the person uses odd language or excessive grammar errors, they overcomplicate things, they have a sympathetic story, their information changes and they’re impatient.
Tips from the FTC:
- Don't send money to someone who says they want to hire you. Don’t deposit a check and wire money back. Don’t send them a gift card or cash reload card.
- Search online for a potential client’s name, email address, and phone number. You might find complaints by others who’ve been scammed and find out more about the scammer’s tricks.
- If you sent money to a scammer posing as an employer, contact the company you used to send the money (bank, wire transfer service, gift card company, or cash reload card company) and tell them it was a fraudulent transaction. Ask to have the transaction reversed if possible.
- Report nanny and caregiver job scams to the job site and to FTC.gov/complaint.
Tips from Care.com:
- Don’t give out personal information
- Use the Care.com monitored messaging system
- Don’t accept money from an employer who you haven’t worked for or met
- Don’t send money to someone you haven’t met
- Don’t accept extra money; only the exact amount you agreed on
- Have an in-person interview
- Be wary of people relocating
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