06/04/2026

Fake check scam targets childcare providers

FTC

If you’re a childcare provider, you know parents might sometimes need to arrange for childcare in a pinch. But if you get an urgent message from someone who says they need childcare and will send you a check in advance, that’s likely a scammer trying to trick you into sending them money. 

Childcare providers are reporting scammers who pose as parents, reaching out by email, text, social media, or online caregiving platforms. They say they’re moving to the area (often from overseas) and need immediate care for their children. They’ll send a check to pay in advance, they say, but the check is for more than you expected. The “parents” claim they “accidentally overpaid” and ask you to send the extra money back — according to reports, usually by wire transfer or payment app.

But if you deposit the check and send money, you’ll be out the cash. Because, even if the check initially clears and you see money in your account, that fake check will bounce and you’ll have to repay the bank.