Help please!

**julie j** · 14-12-2008, 11:13 PM

I posted a vacancy ad on vivastreet and a man has emailed me asking me to take care of his 2 yr old boy(he attached photos) for 2 weeks.
BUT......he lives in Hull,I'm in Devon,he was sent to africa by his petroleum firm to mend broken pipes and had to take his son with him

now he is really busy and has to send his son home and wants me to have his son at his house or mine,if mine he will have his assistant bring him to my house straight from the airport!
He has said that one of his clients in England will send me my payment and I don't know what to e-mail back,surely this can't be genuine? who would put a 2 year old through that upheaval!
Help! what do I write back,He wants a picture of me so he knows who I am!

**Angela234** · 14-12-2008, 11:20 PM

I would steer well clear of this,

Angela

**ajs** · 14-12-2008, 11:28 PM

Originally Posted by julie j

I posted a vacancy ad on vivastreet and a man has emailed me asking me to take care of his 2 yr old boy(he attached photos) for 2 weeks.
BUT......he lives in Hull,I'm in Devon,he was sent to africa by his petroleum firm to mend broken pipes and had to take his son with him

now he is really busy and has to send his son home and wants me to have his son at his house or mine,if mine he will have his assistant bring him to my house straight from the airport!
He has said that one of his clients in England will send me my payment and I don't know what to e-mail back,surely this can't be genuine? who would put a 2 year old through that upheaval!
Help! what do I write back,He wants a picture of me so he knows who I am!

ignore delete this is a con

ignore him there have been a number of posts like this already of a similar vein

**julie j** · 14-12-2008, 11:29 PM

Thank you.....I needed someone to say it!! I'm just worried it could be some sort of abduction plan or taking him from his x wife? or am I letting my imagination run wild?

**julie j** · 14-12-2008, 11:33 PM

Thanks Mandy, so I don't have to worry about the little boy.
God some people are really sick aren't they?

**ajs** · 14-12-2008, 11:47 PM

no i don't even imagine the boy is in the country if he even exists

and yes there are a few really sick people out there

**Blaze** · 15-12-2008, 12:54 AM

Unfortunately there are a lot of variations of this scam.

**Annie_T** · 15-12-2008, 01:05 AM

sounds like a scam.

they say england owe me money will pay x amount( noamlly over top) if you previde this that and the third thing (basically they end up in the money - somehow)

dont bother replying hun

**mandy moo** · 15-12-2008, 10:59 AM

Same as the others, I wouldnt even bother replying

**CCJD** · 15-12-2008, 11:23 AM

don't worry this isn't an abduction scam it's a money scam. If you advertise your car in auto trader you'll get a similar scam. What happens is theysay they will pay you by foriegn cheque. Because it is foreign it actually takesup to three weeks to bounce but British banks often shows it as clear funds after three days. The cheque they will have written for you will be for too much and they will want you to refund them the difference which you do after 3 bank days because it is showing as cleared. Three weeks later you get a letter from your bank telli gyou this foreign cheque has now bounced and the deduct full amount from your account. You are then out of pocket for the amount you refunded and the original person who started is no where to be seen. Photo's etc make you think the scam is more genuine.
Now that we have all learnt to delete those emails from faraway exhiled princesses with millions to claim they are just changing tack. Good rule of thumb- if an email makes you hesitate - delete.

**Polka Dots** · 15-12-2008, 11:27 AM

Hi Julie,

I read about similar scams on the ncma website. They advise you to report the email to Consumer Direct by filling out an online form; https://secure.consumerdirect.gov.uk/reportascam.aspx

It's a horrible thing to do to someone.