Unfortunately, au pairs are vulnerable to dangerous scams, especially when searching for a family online. What do scammers want from young people? Best case scenario, money. Worst case scenario, they’re part of a human trafficking ring looking to prey upon travellers (for further education on present-day human trafficking, visit http://www.endslaverynow.org) Scams may be hard to spot at first, but there are a few red flags to watch for that can help you stay safe.
Signs of a Scam
- Unrealistic pay for a light workload. For reference, the highest paid au pairs currently work in the USA, at weekly rate of 195.75 for 45 hours of work (4.35 USD/hour + free room and board), Switzerland at 500-700 Francs per month for 30 hours each week (minimum 4.16 Francs/4.34 USD/3.88 Euros per hour + free room and board), and Australia at 200-250 AUD for a 30 hour week (6.67 AUD/4.62 Euros/5.19 USD per hour + free room and board).
- Too-good-to-be-true accommodations. While some families are very wealthy or have spacious houses and are able to offer lots of space and privacy for their au pairs, proceed with caution when a large room with a king-sized bath on a separate floor of the house/apartment is accompanied by other suspicious signs.
- A family’s/agency’s language skills are inconsistent with other evidence. For example, a family of UK citizens with English names like “John Miller” or “Amy Smith” who frequently use awkward language and grammar are probably not actually John Miller and Amy Smith. If it looks like Google translate wrote it, Google translate probably wrote it. Phrases like “We offer big house and nice child” from a supposedly native English speaking family or “Many rich families look for au pair girl” from an American “agency” are red flags.
- A family refuses to Skype or talk on the phone. If you don’t want to hear the voice of the person who will be spending 20+ hours with your kids, in my book you’re not actually looking for an au pair.
- Email responses don’t match the questions you ask. When you ask, “What do your kids like to do best with their au pair?” And their reply has nothing to do with their kids or previous au pair, it’s probably because they’ve never had one. Limited information on the family and children paired with a long list of perks is an indicator of a scam.
- A family asks you for money directly. Reasons for asking could be because they need to buy your ticket, insurance, or pay for an agency, but it should be seen as an alarm bell.
For your safety…
- Never send money to a family, family’s ‘travel agent’ during matching, and in general, don’t send money to anyone you don’t know.
- Never accept a placement without Skyping or speaking to a family over the phone (preferably multiple times)
- Do your best to get references on a family before matching with them
- Have enough money to stay at a hostel for a week in case of emergency (such as arriving to a non-existent placement)
- Know emergency contact numbers in your host country before arriving
When things just don’t seem right, err on the side of caution and drop contact. Report suspicious messages to the service that you’re using so they can be properly checked out. There are plenty of 100% real families out there, so never “take a chance” on something fishy because you’re not sure you;ll find another host. Be safe, have fun, and trust your gut!
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