SYRACUSE, NY (WSYR-TV) - A mother in Parish is warning other parents about a babysitting scam that almost hooked her teenage daughter.
18-year-old Brittany Bellinger wants a summer babysitting job.
"She's been extremely sick lately and we've had a lot of extra doctor bills in the house and she was thinking oh wow, I could actually help mom and dad,” said Brittany’s mother Amy Bellinger.
Brittany hopped online and found what looked like the perfect job for $500 a week. When she responded, it jumped to $700, even offering a car and a clothing bonus for Brittany to "look good for the position".
"He did give me his cell phone number and I called and I could tell that he was definitely from overseas from the way that he was sounding,” said Brittany Bellinger.
That was the first red flag. Police say babysitting scams often come from people overseas with poor English grammar. They may claim to be on international business. They may also offer a bonus for clothes or toys. But first, they want you to open a bank account for transactions.
"She said I just want you to check this over...I'm going to go to Chase Bank and open an account, is that okay? And when I saw that and he wanted the account number and everything...I said No that is not okay,” said Amy Bellinger.
The man claims he was vacationing in the Bahamas and needed Brittany to go to the bank first thing in the morning to set up the account and then get back to him with the details. The ladies discovered similar scams online and offer this advice.
"Step back and think twice. Maybe if it sounds too good to be true, it very well could be," said Amy Bellinger.
Police say you should cut off all communication right away if you discover a scam.
Do not reply to e-mails, hang up if they call and print copies of your prior e-mail exchanges to help police track the scammers.
