Posted by
tuna108
12 yrs ago
We have a part time helper who comes in a few times a week to do the chores around the house for the past several months. Over the weekend, I noticed that two of my expensive watches have been missing from our closet (did not put them in the safe). I wear these watches rather infrequently so I am not sure when exactly they went missing. I had last done an inventory in March this year.
Besides this helper, only family members (toddlers besides the 2 of us) have had access to the closet in the master bedroom where these watches were stored.
The facts are as below:
1) No definitive proof that the helper did take the watches, just a suspicion based on her being the only one with access
Is there anything I can do about this situation? or should we just suck it up and learn from this experience?
Would be grateful to hear thoughts.
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very much possible she is the one
if no one else comes to your closet and your husband is not into drugs or something then she is the only one.
install a camera somewhere and leave another watch or money around and catch her red handed.
BTW you cant/shouldn't report this to the police since your employing her is illegal and can land you in trouble, i know this happens a lot but it is still illegal.
better get rid of her.
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Syed_Scorpio, I dont think i would like her to return back to our place. so wont bother with the camera bait trick as even with that I will not be able to go to the police.
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A lot of people jumps in a conclusion which was base on hearsay. dont be too sure that a person instinct is always true, remember that any person is innocent unless he/she is proven guilty. but if your PT helper does it, next time when you hire a PT helper make sure that all your jewellries and important stuff are placed in a safety space with LOCK. otherwise Charge it to your Expirience.
gbu.
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Knowing that you probably won't report them to the police emboldens some people to steal.
Unfortunately if she IS the person who took your belongings, even though she won't be coming back to your apartment again, no doubt she will find work somewhere else and do the same again and again.
It's the big risk we take when letting someone we don't really know have unsupervised access to our homes. The problem is made worse of course when the maid is part-time, and therefore illegally employed by you.....
If you know her "other" employer I think you should alert him/her to your suspicions. It may save them from losing their valuables, and if they are employing her legally and they catch her stealing they will be able to report her to the police.
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Thanks everyone for yur advise. It is best for us to learn from this experience and move on. It was a bit naive of me to trust people from economically disadvantaged backgrounds around valuables amounting to several months worth of salaries.
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This is what my Spanish neighbour told me once - tell her that they are of very sentimental value to you and that if she finds it , you will give an offer of 1000 $. it worked in her case. Give her the money and never keep her again.If she doesn't, next step- call police.
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Have you asked the cleaner (including toddler) if they seen your watch? When my kids were young, they took things without my knowledge!
If the watch is a Rolex, report it missing at RSC (Rolex Service Centre).
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jgl
12 yrs ago
I know that this has been mentioned already, but if she was an FDH, DON'T call the police. You will be admitting to them that you have been employing someone illegally and you will be opening yourself up for prosecution.
Write this off as a learning experience (which it appears that you are sensibly doing already).
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thats right, no reason to complicate situation further by reporting to the Police. This is an expensive lesson to learn but a goodone in teh long term
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Ed
12 yrs ago
Using Merry Maids or Sparkle Maids can offer some level of protection against this...
http://hongkong.asiaxpat.com/helpers/parttime.asp
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it is illegal act to hire a domestic helper who is under contract with a family. Therefore they take chance that you dare not report to police cause yourself would be getting in trouble. Not only part timer steal from household, even long time service helper stole valuable items once they ready to go home for good. Over the years all my
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it is illegal act to hire a domestic helper who is under contract with a family. Therefore they take chance that you dare not report to police cause yourself would be getting in trouble. Not only part timer steal from household, even long time service helper stole valuable items once they ready to go home for good. No matter how good you treated them during contract period. They just need to make as much as money within few years working overseas.
If you know her employer, then tell her she has a thief at home.
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I don't see any reason for them *not* to steal, from their point of view (not from you specifically but in general). If I was treated the way these maids are treated, I would also offer no loyalty whatsoever. I'd make as much money as quickly as possible, doing whatever I could, and get out. There's no permanent residence in it for them, and they get treated like crap, so why not?
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Just a month ago we had a Sri Lanken part timer take around 5000 RMB that we could not 100% pin it on her... We left some bait, went out for an hour and fair enough another couple of a hundred gone! As someone who works hard for what we have for sure wanted to call police but YEP, hiring PT's is illegal... Don't tempt maids, lock everything up and do regular checks of your belongings...
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"I don't see any reason for them *not* to steal, from their point of view (not from you specifically but in general). If I was treated the way these maids are treated, I would also offer no loyalty whatsoever."
You make it sound like they are kidnapped, shipped over and forced to work. They have a choice before they get on the plane and it's up to them to be here.
A thief is a thief.
Speak to her, ask her if she's seen them anywhere, tell her they're sentimental and they are recorded with serial numbers and pictures with 'your lawyer'.
Ask her if she's "seen them under the bed or behind the cupboard" and mention a small reward for info.
Then bring her back for a day to do some cleaning...after making sure everything else is under lock and key.
Maybe she'll 'find' them...
Then you give the 'small reward', be it cash or a boot out the door...your choice.
Failing that, at least tell her employer of your suspicions.
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