What Happened
Childcare providers are reporting scammers who pose as parents, often claiming they're relocating to the area (frequently from overseas) and need immediate childcare for their children. They reach out through email, text, social media, online caregiving platforms, and even online gaming platforms—basically anywhere they can find someone who watches kids.
The scammer offers to pay in advance and says they'll send a check. But the check is always for more than the quoted price. Then they claim it was an "accident"—they overpaid—and ask the childcare provider to wire back the extra money. Usually via wire transfer or payment app.
The childcare provider deposits the check, sees the money appear in their account, and thinks everything's fine. Then they wire the money back. Days or weeks later, the check bounces. The fake funds vanish from their account. They're now out whatever they wired to the scammer, plus they owe the bank for being duped.
Why This Matters
Childcare is a small-business industry. Most providers are independent operators running lean. Someone who watches kids is not usually swimming in cash reserves. A loss of thousands of dollars—which is what these scams can cost—isn't a lesson learned. It's a threat to the business.
The scammers are also exploiting something real: childcare providers do sometimes need to coordinate payment arrangements with new families. The expectation that someone might pay in advance or arrange unusual terms for relocation is not paranoid. It's normal in that industry. So a scammer who says "I'm moving from England and need care starting Monday" doesn't immediately sound like fraud to someone who books families regularly.
The Dumb Part With The Convenient Accident
The dumb part is how simple the scam is. A fake check takes a few minutes. A message claiming an overpayment takes thirty seconds. A request for a wire transfer is standard. The scammer is betting that the childcare provider will move fast and not ask questions—because urgency is real in childcare. You can't tell a parent "Sorry, I need to wait three weeks for your check to fully clear before I watch your kid."
The FTC specifically calls out that nobody should ever send money back from a check deposit, no matter who asks. If someone overpays you by check, you tell them to contact their bank. You do not wire money. But the scammer is counting on the provider not knowing that, or knowing it but feeling pressure from the urgency of the situation.
How to Protect Yourself If You Provide Childcare
- Take your time before engaging with someone who reaches out urgently, especially if you haven't worked with them or met them yet.
- Never accept a check for more than you charge for childcare. That's the red flag before you even deposit it.
- If someone tells you a check was overpaid, tell them to contact their bank. Do not wire money back.
- Use payment apps and digital transfers for families you know. Avoid checks if possible.
- Report suspected scams to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
The Bottom Line
The real stupid shit is that childcare providers—often small-business owners already struggling with cash flow—are now targets for scammers who have cracked a simple social engineering trick: urgency plus normalcy plus a fake piece of paper. The FTC didn't catch this because it's sophisticated. They caught it because it's profitable and easy, and the victims are often too embarrassed or busy to report it.
Sources
FTC Consumer Alert: Fake check scam targets childcare providers
FTC: How to Spot, Avoid and Report Fake Check Scams