Woman puts an ad out for babysitting services and gets X-rated response

It all started normally enough – a mum needing a hand with her kids while she went shopping. But things got weird, fast.

Eleanor Katelaris

2 min read

November 30, 2023 - 1:20PM

Parenting

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Susan, 29, a childcare professional thought she'd struck gold when someone offered her a babysitting gig via Gumtree at $50 an hour.

It all started normally enough – a mum needing a hand with her kids while she indulged in some much-needed retail therapy.

But things got weird, fast.

Susan's potential new client, instead of discussing nappy changes or snack times, started chatting about lingerie, her body shape and other X-rated topics.

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Image: Reddit

The creepy text exchange with the 'mum'

Taking to an online forum, Susan recounted the text message exchange, where she tried to stay professional throughout.

But ultimately she found herself asking - is this woman for real?!

The mum first reached out after seeing Susan's ad and said, "I have two kids under five and I'm looking for someone to babysit and come along while I go shopping and get my hair and nails done."

Then things took a turn and she started talking about lingerie and demanding to know Susan's clothing size and preferences.

"I need new clothes, bras, lingerie, you name it...you can help me pick cute ones," the mum wrote.

When Susan ignored this part of the message and moved the conversation towards locking in a date, the mum wrote, "Sorry for telling you what I needed to buy."

Susan then explained to the forum, "I’m not a very outgoing or social person, definitely not a girls' girl. I was trying very hard to be friendly and professional but this whole conversation was so unnatural for me."

Other messages included, "You have to show me what you 20-somethings are wearing these days. If my bum looks good in an outfit, I'm happy. Before my 30s I was always a size six-eight- but now I'm a 10-12 and it sucks," and "your wide hips mean you have a good ass."

Susan admitted in the post, "I started getting weird vibes towards the end but I don't know if that’s just social anxiety or not."

She then asked the group, "Would you meet her on Wednesday or is the vibe off? If she’s really who she says she is, it’s almost like she’s looking to pay for a shopping buddy more than a babysitter. Isn’t that what friends are for? I’m not sure what to do."

Image: Reddit

"This is some dude with a fetish"

Then the internet detectives chimed in, suspecting a catfish scenario.

"I'm 99 per cent sure it's some dude with a fetish," one person said. "I don't believe this is a woman for one second."

Someone else said, "I think it's a dude. 'She' seemed to be trying to get you to talk about lingerie and wanted pictures of you in lingerie. Creepy as hell. Don't go. Trust your instincts."

And a third wrote, "As a mum who has been one for a very long time, asking about your size and age is f**king weird."

"She keeps trying to steer the conversation towards things that are nowhere near relevant to you being able to safely care for her children. To be honest it sounds like she's into you. This is not going to be a professional transaction," someone else suggested.