Au Pair Scam Warning

Do not send cash, Checks, Western Union or MoneyGram payments to aupairs or host families in Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon or other developing nations.

We have had several reports of families being scammed by people posing as an aupair or nanny and requesting that families send money via Western Union, MoneyGram or cash for airfare or other needs so that the candidate could meet the host family.

We also have uncovered numerous attempts by aliases Mark Kennebeck, Adam James, Mark Adam, a Nigerian scam artist who is posing as an American family, that sends emails and bogus checks to au apairs and nannies as supposed advance payments for au pair and nanny services, only to follow up with an email stating that his wife and daughter (or twin daughters in some cases) have died in a car accident and then he requests that you send him a new check as he no longer needs your services. His ploy is to send you a bogus check and then have you send him a good check or a payment by Western Union. Read more on the whole alias Mark Kennebeck, alias Adam James, Nigerian Money Scam.

Schemes may be elaborate, involving supposed travel agents, professors, deans, parents and other false references. Verify the IP addresses of emails you receive from all references to make sure they originate from the place of work or country where the reference supposedly lives. Do not be fooled. Read the following reference articles on this kind of scams;

There are many wonderful aupairs and nannies in the world. Unfortunately, there are a few unscrupulous people against whom we must guard ourselves. GreatAupair encourages you to read the complaints against AuPairs and Nannies you will want to avoid. Get informed about the process of hiring quality candidates. Run complete background checks. Validate everything. Be smart and be safe in your search.