Nanny Scam Drains College Student's Bank Account

A local college sophomore spent the summer working as a nanny to make money, but a scam almost cost her all of her money.

“I signed up through Care.com, and that’s how I found the first family I nannied,” Delany Turner said.

That online service that connects families with caregivers worked so well the first time, when Turner wanted more hours, sue used it again.

She got an email from someone claiming to be a military mom who was moving from Norway to the United States. The email described the job in detail and told Turner she would be receiving money in advance.

“She told me that she was going to send me a check,” Turner said.

She received a cashier’s check for $1,950 with instructions to deposit the check, deduct her first week’s wages -- $350 – and deposit the remaining $1,600 in a separate account in cash.

Turner said she didn’t think it was a big deal since the family was moving from Europe.

But her bank account was drained after the cashier's check bounced.

“I was just shocked,” she said.

The Federal Trade Commission said it has received 1,200 similar complaints since January 2015, with most involving caregivers targeted by someone seeking childcare or nanny services.

Asked if it has added any additional security measures, Care.com said in part, "We have implemented a number of features, including: Proactive email communications to caregivers on our site with tips on how to spot and avoid scams, resources on how to avoid consumer fraud scams, a monitored messaging system for all communications, and fraud detection tools to create a safer environment."

Police investigated Turner’s case, and her account was made whole, but the scam artists were never found.

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