Make wishtv.com your home page

Indy-based company warns sitters of scam in Indiana

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – An Indianapolis-based company,LullabySitters.com, is warning sitters of a scam in Indiana.

An Indiana college student reported she had her bank account drained after signing up on Care.com, according to a report. Care.com is a website that provides services for babysitters, nannies and cleaning professionals.

The report said a family who allegedly was moving to Bloomington needed someone to set up their apartment. The family reached out to the student through the service, then sent the student a cashier’s check requesting she deposit it and use the money to buy gift cards. After the student followed the family’s requests, the bank learned the check was forged and took the money out of the student’s savings to cover the amount. The student was scammed thousands of dollars.

LullabySitters.com is working to prevent scams like this from happening. The company, created by Marie Maher said she works to help sitters who sign up on her site avoid scams.

“I never lose sight of the fact that our sitters are also someone’s children,” Maher says. “LullabySitters.com works diligently to ensure that our sitters and the children they watch are safe. That’s why we offer these unique speed-sitting events so sitters can meet families in a neutral location. This face-to-face interaction helps prevent ‘catfishing’ situations like the one in the news.”

Maher said one way for sitters to avoid scams is to never agree making any financial transactions, especially to those you have never met in person.

“The fact that someone would try to take advantage of a college student trying to earn money through a flexible, professional career is so upsetting and unfortunate,” Maher says. “Professionals who connect through websites should always trust their instincts, particularly if a situation feels odd. With a local company like ours, the sitters can reach out and get the support they need to avoid a situation like this one.”

Never miss another Facebook post from WISH-TV

Crime Map
Use Search Bars Above To Search Crime Data