Con Artist At Large In Melbourne: Warning To All Host Families

Herald Sun released a news story this morning about a fake Au Pair, con-artist whose real name is Samantha Azzopardi and who is believed to be at large in Melbourne. Ms. Azzopardi is originally from Sydney and has given herself more than 40 aliases to scam families across the world posing as an Au Pair and steal the family’s identities. Her latest victim is the wife of Australian basketballer Tom Jervis. The family lost personal belongings and finally was lucky enough to receive a Facebook message that Ms. Azzopardi is going around claiming she was married to Mr. Jervis. Ms. Azzopardi stole Mrs. Jervis’s name also claiming that she was a modeling talent scout.

The con-woman has used more than 40 aliases, including Harper Hart, Annika Dekker, Aurora Hepburn, Dakota Johnson, Lindsay Coughlin, and Emily Peet. Below is the photo of Ms. Azzopardi and a clip from the Herald Sun-News Report. Please contact the police immediately if you see her around your neighborhood or if you have been in contact with her to help the authorities trace her whereabouts.

Source: Herald Sun, Wednesday, July 10, 2019

99aupairs would like to reiterate the importance of background checks when hosting Au Pairs or when looking for Host Families. You can always start by asking for a valid ID, address proof, and references from previous Au Pairs or Host Families. Although background checks can take a lot of time, effort, and in most cases money, the peace of mind that it gives us is absolutely worth it. The safety of our homes and our little ones (for Host Families) and yourself (as an Au Pair) should always be the main priority. 

When in doubt or if you need help, you can always rely on us and reach out to us at support@99aupairs.com as we can do all those necessary checks for you.