Nichole Wilson says she was scammed after answering a classified advertisement in The Times.
Ms. Wilson answered an ad looking for a home health aide for an elderly woman with dementia. The ad promised $20 per hour, five hours per week.
When she answered the ad, the man, who gave his name in an email to The Times as Tyler Pearson, hired her and sent her a check for $3,250 — $400 for her pay, and the rest to buy home supplies because he said he was moving to the Island.
It’s similar to a job she already does, caring for a 79-year-old woman, so Ms. Wilson thought everything was legit.
After she deposited the check in her account, Ms. Wilson got a call. It was Mr. Pearson, and he said there was a change of plans. He wanted her to wire the funds to a man who he said was a store manager and would be doing the shopping. She followed the instructions in two separate transactions through Western Union.
“I didn’t know until I went to get a snack at the Scottish Bakehouse and my card got declined,” she said. Her account had a negative balance of more than $3,000.
She tried to call Mr. Pearson. “He’s no longer replying to emails, text messages, or phone calls,” she said.
She’s speaking out to help others avoid getting scammed.
Ms. Wilson filed a police report with Tisbury Police, and was told it would be turned over to federal authorities.
The Times thought it was legit, too. Tyler Pearson paid for the ad with a credit card that cleared.
The Times has since attempted to contact Mr. Pearson at the phone number provided, but it rang and rang with no answer.
An email sent to the address he provided for the ad was responded to by Tonya Pearson, saying she was responding on behalf of her husband. She didn’t seem to understand we wanted to ask questions, not seek employment.
She provided the details of the job, which are similar to what was in the ad, and then asked what city or suburb The Times reporter lives in.
“You have to be someone who is matured (sic) enough to handle this, someone who is very patient, loving, caring, outgoing person and responsive to needs, reliable and punctual,” Ms. Pearson wrote. “If you know you are fit for this position in as much you will prove yourself to be a reliable and trustworthy. We would instruct our financier to pay for the first week before our arrival so as to secure your service in advance.”
Tisbury Police Chief Daniel Hanavan said unfortunately these scams are out there, and they’re difficult to hunt down. “The biggest red flag, anytime they say send money through Western Union, it’s a scam,” he said.
“When you deposit their check, it takes five days to find out it’s a fake,” he said. By then, it’s usually too late.
