How the scam works:

Scammers post fake resumes online and when real families approach them they will develop a great online or telephone relationship with them.

Caring, intelligent, and with great references, they look like the perfect candidates. What usually happens is that a day before they are supposed to fly to the new city to start the job, something will “unfortunately” happen. The nanny is short of money or had to take care of a brother’s funeral.

Then, she/he will ask the family who is hiring to wire some money until she/he gets there and starts working, suggesting that the loan can be subtracted from the first check. That’s where the friendship and trust built in the last few weeks pays off for the scammer, as most families wire money without even questioning it.

How to avoid:

Only hire nannies whom you can call for an interview and make sure you can telephone their references.

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