24yo Nanny Found Dead After Answering Craigslist Ad

Babysitting Children

24yo Nanny Found Dead After Answering Craigslist Ad

Chosen7Stone 11-23-2007, 2:49 PM
If you haven't yet heard about Katherine Olsen, it's time to educate yourself. Not only about her tragic death at the hands of some sadistic cretin, but about the safety precautions you need to take when using the Internet to secure babysitting jobs.

When you reply to an Internet posting on Craiglist, or answer an E-mail received from a local family, or respond to a PM you received on a sitter-family matching website...keep in mind that criminals are very good at being criminal. They can sound sincere and genuine, send photos of "their" children, or even try to scam you out of money. For years now there have been scams related to wire transfers out of Nigeria, et al. The news of Katherine's death brings the dangers of babysitting-via-Internet to a new level.

Just imagine -- what could be more tempting for a pedophile or would-be sex offender than the prospect of a teenage girl knocking on his door?

Here are some steps you can take to ensure your safety, if arranging to babysit for a stranger:

Speak with the family on the phone before arranging an interview. Ask to have their number, to call them at an appointed time. It doesn't always work, but Americans can do a "Reverse Lookup" of that phone number on WhitePages.com.
Set up an interview before babysitting for them. Agree to meet in a public place, or bring along a parent or friend. The family should appreciate meeting a sitter who has a good head on her shoulders. If you do bring a parent/friend to their home, the "Reverse Lookup" also works on addresses.
If you feel creeped out or uncomfortable at any point, go with your gut. Don't shrug it off -- God gave us intuition for a reason! Talk to someone about it, and see what they say.

*Love in Christ from Mary*
1 Peter 2:4-5

Vote my agency, Seminole Sitters, the "Best Overall Business" in Tallahassee for the 2007 Tally Awards at EverythingTallahassee.com!!!

Re: 24yo Nanny Found Dead After Answering Craigslist Ad

Mommy2Lots 12-01-2007, 7:15 PM
Excellent posting! I hadn't even heard of this. Thanks for the warning.

Parenting/Sitting Articles - If you view these, kindly return back to Babysitting Forums. ;-)

Re: 24yo Nanny Found Dead After Answering Craigslist Ad

Panditha82 12-04-2007, 6:30 AM

Chosen7Stone wrote:
If you feel creeped out or uncomfortable at any point, go with your gut. Don't shrug it off -- God gave us intuition for a reason! Talk to someone about it, and see what they say.

sound advice!

Judge Not yest ye be judged yourself-Jesus Christ