Ford Gardner, 69, of Darien, says he was scammed out of $20,000, and he's sharing his story in hopes of protecting others.

"This was a devastating experience, and I don't want anybody else to have to go through this same kind of nightmare," Gardner told News 12.

Gardner says he recently applied for a job on a popular employment platform and got what he thought was a home-based position in the health care field - but it actually turned out to be a scam.

Ford says the purported employer sent him a $15,000 check, supposedly to buy home-office equipment so he could "carry out his employment duties."

Ford says he deposited the check and was then asked to wire payment for the equipment to the alleged seller.

Ford says the check bounced a few days later, and the money he had wired to the scammers ended up coming out of his own funds.

The couple has started a GoFundMe to help them cover their losses.

Jim Perez, of Fairfield, is a crime prevention specialist who was a Fairfield police officer for 18 years.

He says you can protect yourself from this kind of scam.

"When somebody sends you a check, go to your bank in person and have them authenticate it," Perez said. "You can also protect yourself by never using funds, unless a check actually clears, which can take as long as two full weeks."