NORTH READING, Mass. — Police in North Reading are looking for a man who allegedly scammed a local babysitter out of hundreds of dollars in an elaborate scheme.
A 19-year-old Beverly woman says she was contacted by a man who was looking for someone to babysit his 9-year-old daughter. On Friday, July 26, she went to a home in North Reading where she met the man, who identified himself as "David," outside, along with the girl and two dogs.
The babysitter watched the girl, who said her name was "Ali," for three hours and took her to a local park and Dunkin Donuts. When she brought the girl back to the house, "David" wrote her two checks totaling $3,360 and told her to deposit the checks using mobile deposit on her phone before he took the actual checks with him.
Later, "David" called the babysitter, said he paid her too much and told her to buy iTunes gift cards and read the numbers off to him to pay back the balance. She went to a store and bought $500 in gift cards, maxing out her daily spending limit on her debit card, and read the numbers to the man. Later on, the checks she tried to deposit bounced due to insufficient funds.
The man who called himself "David" continued to contact the babysitter telling her to buy more gift cards. She said he became angry when she told him she reached her spending limit and claims he threatened her.
According to North Reading Police, the home where the babysitter met the man and girl was in foreclosure and is unoccupied. The woman told police during the pickup and drop off, she met the man outside of the home and never saw him go inside. Police say he used the home, child, dogs, and vehicle parked in the driveway as part of an elaborate scam.
"This is a deeply disturbing and unfortunate real-world scam situation. In recent years, we have seen countless examples of these scams and cons executed online and via telephone, but rarely do citizens encounter a brazen scammer in-person," said Chief Michael Murphy. "Thankfully, the bank's withdrawal limit on the victim's account likely saved her thousands of dollars in lost funds. Most disturbing to me is the suspect using a 9 year-old-child to help facilitate the scam. We're hopeful that someone from the public recognizes the photo of the suspect so that we can make sure that the child is safe."
The woman told police "David" was a Hispanic man who spoke with an accent. The girl who called herself "Ali" was approximately 4'6" with a heavy build and no accent. The man had two German Shepherds and drove a late model "boxy" Honda Pilot-type SUV with suitcases and duffel bags piled in the back seat.
North Reading Police are asking for help to identify the man and are concerned for the welfare of the child. If you have any information, contact police at (978)-664-3131.
Police also want to remind people to never give gift card numbers to strangers. Any suspicious activity should be reported to the police department.
>> Police: Man found dead inside car at Boston hospital connected to shooting in Dorchester