Complaint Against Nicki, Irish Au Pair

Search all aupairs, nannies, host families, and agencies to avoid scams and potientially abusive or illegal situations. If you have ever had a bad au apair or nanny experience and you want to warn others, you can post it here for free.

GreatAupair does not investigate, arbitrate or endorse any posting made in this public forum. All statements are the personal claims of the Author. Authors agree to indemnify and hold harmless GreatAupair, InteliMark Enterprises and its management for any claims arising out of any content or statement represented herein. Note that Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act and the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) protect and immunize web site operators from liability for postings from third parties. See Schneider v. Amazon.com. You must agree to our Terms of Service before you can sign in and post complaints. Complaint submissions are manually reviewed, and if approved, will be posted within 5 business days upon which time you will be notified by email. Please submit only factual complaints based on personal experience, as GreatAuPair will attempt to screen out complaints of a harassing or defamatory nature.

Full name Unlock with Membership Known aliases Unlock with Membership Street address    Unlock with Membership City Unlock with Membership State Unlock with Membership Country Unlock with Membership Zip code Unlock with Membership More photos Unlock with Membership Complaint   >> Posted: Dec 10 '07 by Katherine in Geneve, Switzerland I have received this au pair's profile back in September. She was in Cameroon at the time, and had no money for a mobile phone (apparently her "host" family could not help her), hence making communication difficult for us. We did manage to speak on the phone, via her "host" family. I must day, she did not sound Irish or British. She seemed fairly ok, but financially had no money for a flight to Europe. Stupidly, I loaned her money in advance, via Western Union. First thing I should have realized, why is the girl not responsable enough to have planned for her eventual return home? My previous au pairs had pre-planned their returns, and not waitied for future familes to help them. After receiving the money for the plane ticket, she claimed that she did not know she will need vaccinations to return to Europe, and she had no money for theese vaccinations. Once again, I loaned her money. On the way to the airport I get an email from her "host" family, saying that she has been in a bus accident and is in the hospital in Cameroon. After a few days of no communication, I get an email from her, requesting money to pay hospital fees, as the hospital would not let her leave without paying. I spoke with her father in the UK (was he her father?), as well as her "host" family, as to why they do not help her. Her father apparently was having credit card problems and her "host" family having financial problems as well. Out of the goodness of my heart, I once again loaned her money. Her father promised to pay me back when he got paid in November. Finally, she was on a flight out of Cameroon, but instead of coming to us, she suddenly decided to go see her family in the UK, without informing me. I understand the need to see one's family, especially after an accident (if that is true), but she acted irresponsibly in not informing me of her plans, nor of her arrival date. She knew that I am a pregnant, working mother, with a four year old, whose husband travels frequently for business. I was in desperate need of an au pair, and she took advantage of this. Therfore, I told her I do not wish to hire her, as I do not want such an irresponsable person around my children. DO NOT BELIEVE HER PROFILE! I have since spoken with her in the UK, and she keeps telling me that she will pay me back, but so far I have not seen anything. I do not know what to believe about her, but I feel that her family is also part of the scam. What kind of family cannot help their child when she is supposedly in the hospital? What kind of family allows their child to go to a third world country, where the phone communication is poor, without guaranteeing a return flight for her? She was waiting for her new employers to help her return to Europe. I have spent a total of about £900 on this cheat. I am still exepcting to get paid back. I realize that I was stupid to loan this girl money, but I work with several charity groups and have never been given reason to believe that people will actually cheat someone, like this girl and her "family" have. Please, DO NOT CONSIDER THIS GIRL FOR YOUR AU PAIR!! I have all our communications, as well proof of the money loaned to her so please have no doubt in my story. Just please do not fall into the same scam as I have. Thank you, Katherine Comment   >> Posted: Dec 11 '07 by Damian in Kildare, Ireland Katherine, thank you for drawing attention to this. This person doesn't exist and it is simply a scam to get money. So many elements of her profile don't add up - poor English, supposedly Irish but from Britain, photo not matching text etc.. Avoid. Comment   >> Posted: Jan 11 '08 by Alessandra in Lower Saxony, Germany I have found this aupair on another aupair website (I have registered in more than one) and she has contacted me. I got suspicious when she said she was working in Cameroon, so I did a google search for aupair + scam + Cameroon and this complaint came up, for exactly the same person who I am talking to! Quite alarming. if possible I would like to get in contact with the family who posted this complaint. thanks Comment   >> Posted: Jan 11 '08 by tinuke in Brabant Wallon, Belgium Nicki Schell, would that be the supposed name of this person. I urgently need an au-pair and was contacted by this person called Nicki Schell. I am British but I live in Belgium my husband's family have relations in Ireland and I spoke to her on the phone but she didn't sound like any Irish/British person that I know, in fact she spoke with a very strong African accent and my father is Nigerian so I know. We have been asked to send airfare money but I asked my husband to investigate and verify and the first thing he came up with was that Nicki Schell was a scam. She says she is in Cameroon but according to the information you have given she is in the UK. I have been communicating with her over the past three days and yes we had the my parents have a problem with credit card and a complete non-response to my question about her return flight to England as I was assuming that the problem was I was asking her to come direct to Belgium. It is quite clear that in fact this is not a bona-fide person at all. My husband and I will now be discussing the next step that we should take. Luckily we have not spent any money apart from one phone call. I hope that this helps anyone else who might be approached by this person.