Victim Location 92620
Total money lost $500
Type of a scam Fake Check/Money Order
A user on Sittercity.com named "Joseph ***" was looking for a "Qualify Nanny" for his 2-year-old toddler son, saying that his family was coming to Irvine, CA on assignment from his job in Sweden. His post, listed on 5/14/19, mentioned that applicants should apply by texting him instead of contacting him through the site. Having no previous experience with scams on the site, I naively applied and was told to email my resume to him. After giving him my contact information, he sent me what I suspect was a false check for $3520.67, which I deposited. I was told this sum was to serve as my advance salary as a nanny and to help me pay for his living arrangements (furniture, landlord) before his arrival in the state. He then texted me to run urgent "errands" for him and had me purchase $500 worth of gift cards using money which I was supposed to "lend" to him until the check was no longer on hold. I was supposed to purchase five Google Play gift cards for $100 each; they were supposed to go towards his business’s charity. He was aggressive with texting and calling me while I was buying them until I finished, after which he abruptly quit contacting me at all. By then, I had already sent him the access codes for the gift cards so he could use him. After I got scammed, I checked my phone and saw that the caller was someone from Connecticut. Meanwhile, the sender of the check was a lawyer from San Diego, CA, and the check was issued from an energy company in Auburn, CA; "Joseph ***" must have used false addresses from other people. I lost $500 and regret not seeing the red flags sooner. I called the phone number and it no longer works; I expect the check to bounce soon. His email address is ***@gmail.com and his phone number is (860) 506-5312.