Hallo allemaal,
Ik wil mijn verhaal graag even kwijt omdat ik niet wil dat dit andere mensen ook overkomt.
Ik wilde graag als au pair gaan werken dus had ik een profiel aangemaakt op au pair word. Ik had hier al eens gelezen over veiligheid en ook op au pair world toch is het mis gegaan.
Ik kreeg naast reacties op au pair world op facebook een berichtje van iemand die mij wel zag zitten als au pair. In het berichtje stond dat ze geen profiel meer hadden op au pair world omdat er zoveel reacties op kwamen. Via facebook hebben we email adressen uitgewisseld en zijn we gaan mailen. Ik kreeg veel info over het gezin de omgeving waar ze woonden foto’s van de kinderen enz. Zag er allemaal super leuk uit en ze waren ook enthousiast over mij. Na wat mailen vroeg ze mij contact op te nemen met de agency waar ze al vaker mee hadden samengewerkt en dit heb ik gedaan. Ik kreeg een enorme berg formulieren die ingevuld moesten worden voor alle papieren. Visum, verzekering ticket enz. Op die papieren stond de naam vand de agency en IAPA natuurlijk meteen gaan kijken op de site van het IAPA en dit zag er heel goed uit.
Er werd een flink geldbedrag (1410 Dollar) gevraagd voor alle papieren en een retour ticket. Naast de 1410 dollar zou het gezin nog bijna 3000 dollar betalen om alles voor elkaar te krijgen. Enorme bedragen dacht ik in eerste instatie maar omdat het allemaal heel precies beschreven werd waar het voor nodig was leek het heel logisch. Een week of 3 geleden het geld overgemaakt en afgelopen maandag kreeg ik een mail dat eigenlijk alles rond was. Er was alleen een regel in Amerika verander waardoor er nogmaals om geld gevraagd werd. Dit zou zijn om dat er veel mensen in Amerika illegaal verbleven. Zodra ik me met het gezin bij de vreemdelinge politie zou melden zou ik dit geld terug krijgen. Ik vond het vreemd dat die regel er ineens was en ben gaan zoeken. Over de regel was niks te vinden.
Toen ging het mis. Ik ben verder gaan zoeken en kwam tot de ontdekking dat het allemaal niet bestond. Het gezin, de agency alles was Fake. Natuurlijk waren ze zo slim geweest om de naam te gebruiken van een bestaande agency en zijn er prachtige logo’s ontworpen.
Op verschillende site over scammers vond ik precies de zelfde mails als ik van het gezin had gehad. Allen de namen en de woonplaats waren anders. Ook de foto van de vorige au pair en van de slaapkamer die voor me klaarstond was exact het zelfde als op die sites.
Voor mij is het te laat, mijn geld zie ik waarschijnlijk nooit meer terug. Maar ik wil dat dit niemand overkomt en deze mensen die hier achter zitten verdienen geen cent meer van iemand anders zijn of haar geld! Daarom hieronder een kopie van de eerste mail die ik gehad.
Hello,
How are you? hope you are doing fine. I sent you a message earlier on facebook,Compliments of the season to you and I am very happy that you are interested and willing to work for us. I must assure you that everything is going to work out just fine here. Of course any starting time of yours is okay so it might interest you to know little about the family and the job expectations.
ABOUT US
I’m working with the USA ARMY here, live in 1125 E Buffalo Ave, Santa Ana, California 92705 while my husband works as a consultant. I am down to earth, blunt and take things the way they come. I am a very friendly person and easy to get along with. You will have no problem in adapting to our lifestyle here. We will be needing your services due to the time commitment that is demanding by our job. We want you to know that you’ll never have any cause to regret taking up this job.THE KIDS
My last child is a Girl her name is C (2 years) we enrolled her at a kindergarten school, after this period she will also proceed to elementary school to join her brother. She is welcoming and though she is young, she has a warm reception for people and she has got friendly attitude too. She likes playing a lot and I do not think you will not have any problem with her so far she eats and plays well. L is 6 years old he is a bright boy very intelligent and ease going, he’s in the fourth year in elementary school. He likes candy, chocolate and he likes watching cartoon movies and cycling with our Neighbors in the neighborhood. He also likes playing a father role because he’s always with me in the absence of their father, being he first child and the only son he likes taking responsibilities and this amaze me and his father cause he is Just six and he act much more older than his age.CITY
We live in a big city with attractive views, natural environments and nice structures. “Surely here as well as other cities in New York too is regarded as the Paradise of the world. People of this place and other states are very simple in their manners, Everybody is neither Poverty nor Riches, each house is quite okay, and every man has a trade and other good job opportunities and student are also responsible in their respective schools, Most importantly there is no distinction of Persons.” Somethings are expensive like housing and car sales but most of other things are affordable like food, clothes and many more. But I really cant say much except you come here and see for yourself, Okay.SCHEDULE
Your job is not a hard one, I do not believe in supervising or monitoring people to do their job.I believe people should be giving a free role in whatever they do. So, I believe you should be able to perform well without being told. All entails preparing the kids for school in the morning, taking Lewis and Chloe to the point where the school bus picks them up to school. You will have a free period then whereby you can do any vocation or practice or time for studying if you are type or whatever is at your disposal. Then you help monitor them after they are brought home by the school bus,just to make sure they are alright till my arrival from work.Morning: help children get dressed, feeding, prepare for morning activities<school, play class etc>
Afternoon: participate in other activities, library, swimming lessons, read books, play games, listen to music.
Evening: help prepare dinner, give them baths, help them put on pajamas, Help them with any projects and school activities.
SALARY
You will have $5.8 for 8.50 hours per day for 23 days(23 days out 31 days of the month) makes or equals $1,200 plus $80 every week for your petty expenses, your off days are the weekends Saturday and Sunday makes up the remain 8 days to make up the 31 days of the month so you won’t be paid during those days but In case you have to work during your off days your per pay will be at $6.00 per hour and it will be added to your end of the month salary. So the net salary is $1520. This salary is subject to negotiations for an upward review upon your arrival and I am sure this pays you more in return because you are going to have a substantial savings.You will be provided with a well furnished bed room in the house as soon as you get here with your personal bathroom. We will also endeavor to get you a personal desktop computer connected to the internet(and if you have your laptop you can also bring it along), TV and other necessary gadgets at your disposal. There is no problem with you having a cell phone but you are also left with the option of using the home line to reach whoever you want to contact. There will be enough privacy for you, I guess you’ll really like it.
STUDY
You will be free to study in any school of your choice soon as you get here. I will be helping you as regards tuition fees. There are so many colleges and universities here that offer good and qualitative part time courses here but you we will discuss more about this when you arrive fully, okay.OFF DAYS
You have every weekend as your off day as I will not be going to work during weekends except special overtime.Concerning the when to start and your length of your stay?- I am sure that you will quite agree with me that it will be a great idea if we can start the processing of your Visa, Flight, Work permit, Insurance and other traveling documents any moment from now so that you can have them ready as to avoid any delay on your part, you will be applying for it through the agency here in the States, they helped us with our past Au pairs and the experience has been wonderful. Their processing is usually about 2-3 weeks with a safe and reliable service so in that case we have no choice than to wait and get all the visa and required documents so get back to me so that we can have that arranged.
Feel free to ask any question, we will not hesitate to answer you but I will still appreciate if you can tell us more about you, your city and your family if any again?.
How long do you intend staying with us? This is actually open to both of us as you will have your own schedule but as for us you are free to stay with us for as long as you want 3, 6, 9, 12 months more of these or less, okay so let’s know your decision about that.
I will be sending more pictures later.
Hope to hear from you soon.
Yours sincerely,
With Love.
Groetjes Milou
