Scamdex has seen a recent rash of emails offering employement to nannies - but before they come to take up their position, there's just one little job that needs doing. This involves accepting a check payment into your bank account and sending on the rest after deducting commission. The check is a fake but it's too late - your money has gone!
4nannies.com, "the original online nanny search service" passed these emails on from it's members and Scamdex is happy to publish them to hopefully prevent some good hearted lovers of children from becoming victims.
If you get any emails like this, please ignore them. As always with scams, if it seems too good to be true - it is!
Here is the text of the first message. One strange detail is that one of the pictures is actually of Valerie E Plame Wilson and her husband Joseph C. Wilson. We have been unable to find out who the children are - if you recognise someone, please let me know!
Subject: You Are Needed For Job
Hello friend, How are you? Over there, hope you are well doing, I am Rossy Mark by name I am a woman of 35 yrs I am a mother of 2, I came across your profile and I am interested in you joining our family as a Babysitter/Nanny/Aupair, I am a Argentine by nativity but am based in Australia, but in like 2 months time now, we would be re-locating to United State, and we would want you to join us as Babysitter/Nanny/Aupair, in 14450 Center Ave,San Martin, CA 95020, everything in that house that we would be staying when we arrive has been put in place except some new home properties and cars that we have purchased from Canada and ready for shipping over to our new address in United State, Our new house address is14450 Center Ave,San Martin, CA 95020, I am business woman I finished my university degree just of resent, I studied children guiding, counseling and psychology My name is Rossy Mark am 35yrs I love to care for children and I don't mind to do some housework to help you, and my husband's name is Mark, he is into fabric production chemicals importations, we are coming to live in United State b’cos of his large volume of demand in his business, so please swiftly reply me if the chance of joining us as a sitter,/nanny when we come to United State is still open, we would be coming by 2 months time which is November 10, and in case you are from the other end of the State, then we would be responsible for your traveling fees, I think my husband can handle all that by himself, so you do not need to spend anything ... if that would Be ok with you...my children are males, they, love soccer and Basketball and swimming and all such of games, I personally love play basketball my Husband is a nice man he is cool headed. We are going to treat you like a king., My husband is an international business man, he deals with importation of fabric production chemicals and he has a busy business net network around the world, and he also has some b usiness client in Europe even in United State which we have already discussed with concerning all the traveling expenses of anybody that is going to be our Babysitter/Nanny/Aupair and they are going to be responsible for me and my children's traveling expenses as well and for the shipping of the rest of our luggage from Canada, and my husband will join us latter b'cos he is not presently in Australia he has traveled to U.K for a conferences and they have agreed with my husband that they would pay all the traveling fees of the Babysitter, so you do not need to spend anything on your coming, pls respond to this mail if you are still available , you position is to just care for the children when they return from school and take them out round some part of the state we are two international business people in the production of fabric field who want exceptional care for our two little boys. As a family we like to boat and water ski in the summer, snowmobile in the winter, and trave l. We participate in community activities and like to be involved. You would live in a nice home in a nice neighborhood and would have a large private bathroom adjacent to your bedroom. This place is called Sydney in Australia but we would be coming to United State, address in 14450 Center Ave,San Martin, CA 95020, your typical hours of care would be to get them awake from the bed and dress for them and drop them&scdx; in the school and you go pick them up when they close in the school, so you will now work from 2:00 pm. Until 6:00 p.m. Monday to Friday. Weekends will be off for you. The payment is $1,000 per week, (One Thousand) per week We would appreciate an English speaking person so that our sons become bilingual. more details can be given upon contact. The name of the boys are denis and matex they are 1year and 4years of age, they love to play soccer and to play basket ball and fishing and cycling, if you have any pet that you love, you can bring th em here and they would also be taken care of, you would not do any house work at all, the payment is $1,000usd per week my e-mail address is rossy_joss@yahoo.com , and my yahoomessanger is rossy_joss@yahoo.com, the gender of the Babysitter does not matter, you would live in the home with us, but you have your private apartment , private car if you can drive , private cell phone , private bathroom and toilet, we want the Babysitter to come as soon as possible , the minimum time the Babysitter can stay is 3 moths and the maximum is 3years, pls if you are interested and available , go and do your findings concerning all the document that you will need for your traveling and give me the total cost bill so I can arrange for the payment. have a small interview for you if possible you are instrested in the work, it is written below: 1) What are your academics qualifications? 2) Do you have certificate to back up you babysitting/Nanny Career? 3) What are you parents names? And what do they do for living? 4) How old are you? 5) Are you married? 6) Do you have kid? 7) Do you have any pet? 8) Do you have any special attitude? 9) Do you have your country passport? 10) Do you have any crime records? 11) Do you have a valid driver’s license? 12) Do you have bank account? 13) Can you handle money if you are given an assignment to carry out? 14) Tell us more about your temperament . 15) Who is you referee/guarantor? 16) Is your husband/boyfriend/parent in support of you doing this job? These are the question I have in mind for you to do a short interview for you if you are intrested in the work my family offer you, so I want&scdx; you to answer them all so that I will know your ability, then I will get back to you soonest, so if you are still interested, let me know. Thank you, Rossy. (The children and me with my husband including the house you are coming to , picture have attached)
The follow up email has the payload - it turns out that this is just a variation on Payment Processing Fraud (You pay a counterfeit check into your bank then send your real money to them by Western Union)..
Subject: Urgent Hello, I am so glad to read from you again, infact its like receiving a good news letter from haven, As a matter of fact, I am sure that you are the sure and divine person I am looking for as an sitter. The ages of our children are 1 Years and 4 years and the working time is 8am in the morning to 4pm in the afternoon from monday to friday so you will be off on weekends and the minimum of working with us is 3 months and the maximum is 2 to 3 years. the weekly payment is $1,000.00usd and you will have your own 2 bedroom in desame house with us for maybe you are coming with your family,children or pet and you will also have your own private car for working with us and internet connection will also be in your apartment, Your work will start on 15th of October and we want you to arrive on the 13th of October. So pls without a waist of time, I want you to send me your full name and your contact address, and your phone number, cos there is an assignment for you, this assignment is what can delay our coming ,its all about our house furniture and our cars and including the car that we would give to you to make everything easy for you and some house equipments , futures of our home and yours too, and 3 cars which one of the 3 belongs to you and some other things that we bought like baby care stuff in Canada, they have been given to the shipper to ship to our new house , so the shipper is waiting for the shipping fee before they can ship them to the new house. and there is a client of my husband an INSURANCE COMPANY in USA WHICH is responsible for all of our traveling expenses, they have agreed to pay the shipper the shipping fee so via cashier cheque or money order, so if you are taking up the position, the issue is that you have to do something on our behalf as your first assignment and we would pay you for it, this will hasting our coming and to make everything work effectively, I will instruct the INSURANCE COMPANY to issue the payment to you. so you see, you will just have to cash the money, that is meant to be sent to the shipper of our cars and the house properties that we have already bought in Canada, although the money was suppose to be sent to the shipper directly but the shipper is not in usa and my husband that could have been of help to cash it by himself is currently in Belgium now so you will have to take up this assignment ,I have already talked with my husband concerning you that you are capable of doing it, so you have to proof me right in his sight by been honest and he said he would talk with his INSURANCE COMPANY in usa to issue you THE FUNDS and you cash it and send the money to the shipper for the shipping, so the payment is going to be from his revenue that they generate for him every month and its going to be via cashier cheque, so your full name and address, would be needed and your phone number………… but you would have to be honest b'cos he said that the amount that this insurance company is going to pay out is $7,600 so You should t ake $600 for your preparations, and for any other thing you might need to put in places before your coming, so your coming would be effective the whole money to be sent is $7600.so use $600 for all your processing and send the rest of his money through Money Gram, you should search for money gram outlet near to your area and send the rest of the money which is $7,000 to our shipping agent in Canada for shipping of the rest of our house properties and the cars including the baby care stuff and some art works drawing and some decorations we just purchased for the new house that we are moving into in the USA pls send the rest of the money to shipper immediately b'cos my husban d is strict about his money and he does not play with his founds at all .. So you would go on with the processing with that $600 usd, and if you now need more money, then he will send it to you again, that one is like your own benefit of helping us to do the assignment. so your full contact name and address and phone number is needed for the cashier cheque to be written in your name and get to your hand … and in case of you not having a bank account to deposit the money order or cashier cheque, then maybe you should try and get someone who you trust that can help you cash the money and send the person’s name and contact address and phone number alone and the client would issue it to what ever name you send to me but just be sure of the person that you trust person. You can contact my husband Thanks, Rossy Mark. provide everything i ask in time so you can have your traveling payment in time and by sending the rest to shipper of our properties in Canada so that it can be shipped to USA in time...okay, so answer without wasting of time (provided you want speak with my husband) You can call my husband on this number to talk better \+44 703-199-1551 or +44-703193-0781 OR CALL HIM to his saterlite mobile phone which is 234-8034993934 Just dial it like that, Mark is his name he knows you so feel free to talk and ask any question, the best time to call him is 5pm to 7pm your time ask him any questions you want to ask him.
Here is another email received by the 4nannies.com site
Subject: intrested in you Hello friend, How are you? Over there, hope you are well doing, I am laraab Smith by name I am a woman of 35 yrs I am a mother of 2, I came crossways you profile and I am interested in you joining our family as a Babysitter, I am an Argentine by nativity but am based in Australia, but in like 2 months time, we would be re-locating to USA and we would want you to join us as Babysitter, in 4455-100 Baymeadows Road, Suite 101 Jacksonville, FL 32217 everything in that house that we would be staying when we arrive has been put in place except some new home properties that we have purchased from Canada and ready for shipping over to our new address in USA Our house is a 5 bedroom duplex IN 4455-100 Baymeadows Road, Suite 101 Jacksonville, FL 32217
. I am business woman I finished my university degree just of resent, I studied children guiding, counseling and psychology My name is Laraab Smith am 35yrs I love to care for children and I do n't mind to do some housework to help you, and my husband's name is Mark, he is into fabric production chemicals importations, we are coming to live USA b’cos of his large volume of demand in his business so in USA SO Pls swiftly reply me if the chance of joining us as a sitter,/nanny when we come to USA is Still open, we would be coming by 2 months time which is November 10, and in case you are from the other end of the country, then we would be responsible for Your traveling fees, I think I can handle all that by myself, so you do not need to spend anything ... if that would Be ok with you...my children are males, they, love soccer and Basketball and swimming and all such of games, I personally love play basketball my Husband is a nice man he is cool headed. We are going to treat you like a QUEEN., My husband is an international business man, he deals with importation of fabric production chemicals and he has a busy business net network around the worl d, and he also has some business client in USA even in MANYPARTS OF THE STATE which we have already discussed with concerning all the traveling expenses of anybody that is going to be our BABYSITTER/NANNY and they are going to be responsible for me and my children's traveling expenses as well and for the shipping of the rest of our luggage from Canada, and my husband will join us latter b'cos he is not presently in Australia he has traveled to U.K for a conferences and they have agreed with my husband that they would pay all the traveling fees of the Babysitter, so you do not need to spend anything on your coming, pls respond to this mail if you are still available , you position is to just care for the children when they return from school and take then out round some part of the sate We are two international business people in the production of fabric field who want exceptional care for our two little boys. As a family we like to boat and water ski in the summer , snowmobile in the winter, and travel. We participate in community activities and like to be involved. You would live in a nice home in a nice neighborhood and would have a large private bathroom adjacent to your bedroom. This place is called Tasmania in Australia OUR HOUSE ADDRESS IN AUSTRALIA HERE IS 9 Gumbowie Drive Port Sorell Tasmania 7307 Australia but we would be coming to Italy, the house is address: 4455-100 Baymeadows Road, Suite 101 Jacksonville, FL 32217 your typical hours of care would be between 2:00 pm. And 6:00 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Friday .the rest of the days would usually be off. The payment is $1,000 per week, (ONE THAUSAND DOLLARS) per week, we would appreciate English Speaking person so that our sons become bilingual; however, it is not required. The boys' father speaks English fluently. Our jobs allow us many holidays in which you may or may not need to care for the children. Many more details can be given upon contact. The name of t he boys are Denis and Matex they are 1yr and 4year of age, the love to watch soccer and to watch basket ball and fishing and cycling, if you have any pet that you love, you can bring them here and they would also be taken care of, you would not do any house work at all, the payment is $1,000 per week my e-mail address is lancool2003@yahoo.com , and my yahoomessanger is lamaxflood@yahoo.com, the gender of the Babysitter does not matter, you would live in the home with us, but you have your private apartment , private car if you can drive , private cell phone , private bathroom and toilet, we want the Babysitter to come as soon as possible , the minimum time the Babysitter can stay is 3 moths and the maximum is 18 moths , pls if your interested and available , go and do your findings concerning all the document that you will need for your traveling and give me the total cost bill so I can arrange for t he payment , Thank you. Laraab Smith
You'll notice that these two letters are virtually identical. This is a form letter that is one of several that has been tailored to
be easily used by people who may not even speak English, or to be sent out with a spam engine. It works because it sounds idyllic - looking after some rich couple's children, private appartment, car etc, and even the opportunity to live and work in the US. But, the entire nature of this scam is to get you to do one little 'administrative task' before you come out - just pay the shippers with the (counterfeit) check we will send you, and send the rest of the money (by Western Union, the Scammers Best Friend) to some godforsaken corrupt outpost of civilization where it will never be seen again.
If you do get caught up in this, and send the money, you will complain louudly to them. If they can, they will get you to spend even more of your own money 'fixing' the problem. They will bleed you dry - it's their job!