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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Email Scams
DBug 02:31 PM 04-22-2010
I just got an email requesting daycare info that sounded awfully suspicious. I'm pretty sure it was discussed here before, but what are the red flags I should look for? And what do the scammers get out of it -- is it for identity theft?
Michael 04:37 PM 04-22-2010
What was the Subject Title?
momofsix 04:52 PM 04-22-2010
If they send you a check or money order in advance,saying it's for toys or an advance on care and ask you to send some of the money back--huge no no, the check is a fake and you will be responsible for all fees etc when it doesn't end up going through. I think from what I've heard, most of these scammers find their victims when they advertise on Craigsllist, so just be very careful. Usuall it's also someone from "out of town" that will be in town for a "conference" or something else short term. (supposedly) It's sad how smart crooks have gotten, and how they will scam anybody.
Michael 05:35 PM 04-22-2010
Originally Posted by DBug:
I just got an email requesting daycare info that sounded awfully suspicious. I'm pretty sure it was discussed here before, but what are the red flags I should look for? And what do the scammers get out of it -- is it for identity theft?
Never give out any information. Have them contact you via phone. Do not open any attachments like zip or exe files. Do not click on any links even if they go to a site that looks legit. If the site asks for personal information don't fill it out. I just got an email requesting daycare info that sounded awfully suspicious. I'm pretty sure it was discussed here before, but what are the red flags I should look for? And what do the scammers get out of it -- is it for identity theft?
That may sound obvious but I once clicked on a Bank of America email link and it took me to a page that looked just like the one I access my bank from. It said I needed to change my password and after filling out everything like SS, passwords, CC info I almost click the process button and saw that the URL from the page started out with BankofAmerica.com but ended up with a different address: the BofA address was a sub-domain and the real domain was in Korea. It was a close one and I almost fell for it. Lots of scamers out there.
DBug 06:41 PM 04-22-2010
Okay, sounds like this one is a scam. Here's how it starts:
I am Engineer (name) of Golden Gate Company Ltd,am from England.
My family will be travelling to your country on the July 6th 2010 on business trip and will be coming to your country for like six months ...
Then it gives the ages of the kids and asks for the total cost for that time period. It looked really fishy to me, but I didn't want to assume anything based on typos and grammar. But the fact that it makes no mention of my town or province (let alone the actual country), and that it asks for the total cost just sounds suspicious.
Anyway, thanks for the help!
I am Engineer (name) of Golden Gate Company Ltd,am from England.
My family will be travelling to your country on the July 6th 2010 on business trip and will be coming to your country for like six months ...
Then it gives the ages of the kids and asks for the total cost for that time period. It looked really fishy to me, but I didn't want to assume anything based on typos and grammar. But the fact that it makes no mention of my town or province (let alone the actual country), and that it asks for the total cost just sounds suspicious.
Anyway, thanks for the help!
Michael 06:45 PM 04-22-2010
Originally Posted by DBug:
Okay, sounds like this one is a scam. Here's how it starts:
I am Engineer (name) of Golden Gate Company Ltd,am from England.
My family will be travelling to your country on the July 6th 2010 on business trip and will be coming to your country for like six months ...
Then it gives the ages of the kids and asks for the total cost for that time period. It looked really fishy to me, but I didn't want to assume anything based on typos and grammar. But the fact that it makes no mention of my town or province (let alone the actual country), and that it asks for the total cost just sounds suspicious.
Anyway, thanks for the help!
Sounds too general. He spells travelling like they do in Europe but he is not giving specifics. If you want, send me the email with his email address to my PM and I will contact him.Okay, sounds like this one is a scam. Here's how it starts:
I am Engineer (name) of Golden Gate Company Ltd,am from England.
My family will be travelling to your country on the July 6th 2010 on business trip and will be coming to your country for like six months ...
Then it gives the ages of the kids and asks for the total cost for that time period. It looked really fishy to me, but I didn't want to assume anything based on typos and grammar. But the fact that it makes no mention of my town or province (let alone the actual country), and that it asks for the total cost just sounds suspicious.
Anyway, thanks for the help!
MT Momma 07:03 PM 04-22-2010
I get those also. I tell them that my number was in my add on Craigs list. Please call me and I would be happy to discuss the details with them.
That usually takes care of it, but on the off chance that it is legit that leaves them the option to call.
That usually takes care of it, but on the off chance that it is legit that leaves them the option to call.
MarinaVanessa 07:33 AM 04-23-2010
Oh yeah, I just deleted six that were pretty much worded like that just a few minutes ago. I hate it. Anything that says that they're interested and they live out of the country is suspisous. I have a copy/paste response that I reply back with that asked a lot of specific questions that I want answered like hours they need, kids names, temporary or long-term, parenting styles , references etc and then at the bottom I add a HUGE
"If you are still interested please let me know. If it seems strange that I ask a lot on the first corespondence that is only because I have received a lot of SPAM and need to weed out the real and fictitious inquiries. On that note I would like to add that I do not accept cashiers checks, money orders or accept wire transfers as payment. Cash, personal checks or subsidy payments only in the exact amount. Thank you very much, have a great day!"
That seems to be the end of most of them but I still get a lot of new ones. By any chance do you advertise on craigslist? I get a lot of mine from there.
Marina
"If you are still interested please let me know. If it seems strange that I ask a lot on the first corespondence that is only because I have received a lot of SPAM and need to weed out the real and fictitious inquiries. On that note I would like to add that I do not accept cashiers checks, money orders or accept wire transfers as payment. Cash, personal checks or subsidy payments only in the exact amount. Thank you very much, have a great day!"
That seems to be the end of most of them but I still get a lot of new ones. By any chance do you advertise on craigslist? I get a lot of mine from there.
Marina
msmichelle 08:16 AM 04-26-2010
Do you post on craigslist.org? It seems these scammers pray a lot on people
who list on craigslist.org so beware.
I did have a client once that got taken, he was out of the country and wanted
to use her for care, he even called her on the phone. He sent her a money
order for over the amount and she was to send back $5000, well she deposited it in her account the check was no good and she already she the guy the $5000
the back didn't even pick up on that the money order was bad.
Not sure what he told her to get her to send him $5000
http://www.daycareresource.com/preschoolprintables.html
who list on craigslist.org so beware.
I did have a client once that got taken, he was out of the country and wanted
to use her for care, he even called her on the phone. He sent her a money
order for over the amount and she was to send back $5000, well she deposited it in her account the check was no good and she already she the guy the $5000
the back didn't even pick up on that the money order was bad.
Not sure what he told her to get her to send him $5000
http://www.daycareresource.com/preschoolprintables.html