Am I being Scammed???

Question

I am interested in becoming an Au Pair and have been searching for families on Au Pair websites. I became a paid member on a couple of websites and have been emailing a lot of families to express my interest. I emailed a family, who in their profile, stated that they were living in Manhattan New York. They replied saying they needed someone immediately and they are now living in London. She asked that I contact the agency that organises her travel arrangements, so they could arrange mine and fast track everything to get me to London by the 10th of Nov. I will have to pay for my flights over, but she will repay me once I arrive. This means I have to send money to an Agency I don't even know exists. The name of the agency is KLM Speedy Travel Agency located at 15,Kincaid Road Peckham se15 5un London and email address is [e-mail]. I don't want to send money to people I can't trust so if you can verify this agency or have any suggestions that would be great

I was the one who made initial contact though and I asked about them paying for the flight and they said that they did that once and the Au Pair kinda took the ticket and ran. They don't want to get scammed again.

Oh yeah and about the have the interview part - I live in Australia and they live in London. I do want to speak with them over the phone though.

Answer 1

I would steer clear.

There is no business listed in any of the usual London directories called KLM Speedy Travel Agency. In addition to that, I can tell you that Kincaid Road is not in the retail centre of Peckham where all the other agents are located.

There are plenty of registered travel agencies in the area as well, so why your prospective employers should choose one that appears to be unregistered is mysterious in itself.

Also Peckham is not the nicest bit of London to be in. I'd be enormously surprised if someone wanting an au pair would be living in that sort of area - and, even if she is, I wouldn't advise someone new to the country wanting to live there either. Its not rough (well, it is actually) so much as run down and a bit seedy.

Quite apart from the above, a few other things spring to mind :

1. Would you accept a job like this without understanding your responsibilities and terms of contract, and without meeting your employers?

2. Would a prospective employer want to employ an au pair without first meeting them?

3. Why should they pay for you to come all the way over from Australia, when there are hundreds of au pairs looking for work in London?

4. If someone on this site verified that the agency existed, would that really be good enough for you to risk sending your money across? I wouldn't trust some of the idiots on here to tie their own shoe-laces!

5. Why do you have to buy a ticket from this agency? Couldn't you buy your own ticket and then be reimbursed by your new employer when you get to the UK?

If I were you, I would be having these discussions with your "employer" and letting them know of your reservations. If they really want you that badly, they'll be helpful. If you feel that you can't discuss this with them, then you should forget all about this position - an au pair occupies a position of great trust and this must be reciprocated by the family, or else the relationship does not work.

Answer 2

Don't ever send money to an agency you don't know anything about. There are a few red flags here and I would go with your instinct and not send the money. There are allot of scams going on relating to oversee locations. These sites promise you jobs, money, etc. but first you must send money to some unknown place that you have minimal information about and you deal with one or two people that you will not be able to contact once you send your money to them. Usually once you send some money these people either will take your money or tell you that something happen and you will have to send more money, eventually draining you of all of your savings while someone else is having fun at your expense .

Answer 3

It does sound like a scam. If the family want you, they will send you a ticket. Frankly, you should meet with and interview the parents and children before you accept a position with them. And I can't imagine parents hiring someone they have not interviewed in person to take care of their children. The whole thing has big holes.

Answer 4

Jesus Christ is my own Savior, and in case you do not have self belief something that he has written interior the Holy Bible, and you think of it relatively is all a gaggle of lies, then you definately will actually no longer be going to the heavenly gates of heaven. How dare you ask if the promise of heaven is the final scam of all time? there is no longer one Christian Church available that asks for money aside from your conventional present a week in the direction of known money, or missions. Then the a number of different businesses, like the Lutheran Hour, or those church classes on television will ask you for money with the intention to get a e book or present of a few type. you have this all puzzled guy. circulate to a Christian church and you will have self belief the reality as quickly as you start up going plenty. i do no longer pass over church a single Sunday, and that i've got long gone to a minimum of 6 Bible study already interior the final 5 yrs. I used to sing interior the Junior choir, and Senior choir, and taught Sunday college and trip Bible college. All babies of God from infant age and on up % to hearken to approximately Jesus' fantastic miracles. in case you relatively have self belief this then you definately actually is in basic terms no longer entering into heaven. i know an atheist is somebody who would not have self belief any of the faiths that are preached. you need to sit down down, and reevaluate your life guy, because of the fact in case you do no longer you will actually die and circulate to hell, that's a burning hearth pit, and devil will basically like it which you had to circulate down there.

Answer 5

YES. No legitimate business would have a Yahoo address! That should be your first clue.

Answer 6

sounds like a scam to me, be careful do not send any cash, or soon you and you money will immediately and speedily parted!

Answer 7

Don,t let them rush you, that,s the best way to get at you, making you think that it,s your only chance. take your time and check it out first.

Answer 8

wouldnt reccomend you do that. If they want you they can pay your flights from thier end

Answer 9

I answered this on the other place where you asked it.

Answer 10

scam