Caregivers beware: watch out for this scam

The Federal Trade Commission today issued a Consumer Information alert about a scam related to caregiver websites. If you use a home healthcare/eldercare/childcare website to find work as a caregiver, you should be aware of a scheme that is now being used to cheat caregivers using counterfeit checks. If an individual contacts you based on your listing on a caregiver website and that person asks you to accept a larger-than-your-fees check and then pay part of the amount to a third party, it is most likely a scam.

These scams sometimes ask you to make cash payments to the third party and sometimes they ask you to send the funds via a wire transfer or other money transfer service. If you receive a job solicitation like this, please report it to the Federal Trade Commission, the money transfer/wire company involved and the caregiver site.

Details are available on the Federal Trade Commission’s Consumer Information blog.