A word from Lynn and Kelly:

The Adoption World

Is this really, “The Cruelest Con” getting scammed? Or the fact we have a lack of laws and direction?

The adoption world is riddled with various laws and lacks the checks and balances. Adoption can be and most of the time is a joyous journey as long as everyone is educated and understands the process and red flags. Often times what we find is a lack of education on behalf of prospective adoptive parents as well as expectant mothers and adoption professionals. Let alone when something goes wrong it is extremely difficult to find someone in law enforcement that understands the “adoption world” yet knows how to proceed with filing charges. Currently, depending on the states a person can be charged with attempted theft by deception, theft by deception, mail fraud, wire transfer fraud or communication fraud, often times if they are convicted they get a slap on the wrist and eventually return to scamming. There is a lack of regulations, accountability and a loss as to whom to report these crimes too. There should be a law that says it is a crime to be involved in an adoption scam whether it is to exhort money or to play upon the emotionally aspects of others. The law should also leave the latitude and discretion up to the judge. As each circumstance is different particularly if mental health issues or drug abuse is involved. Adoption can be a big business and the large adoption agencies that charge excessive fees know who they are. These so-called professionals do not want to see the industry regulated. Neither do we yet something needs to be done to curtail the vast inconsistencies and injustices that occur frequently. In no way do we want to see the freedom of independent adoption disappear. For example each time the government increases the tax credit for adoption, the fees of the large adoption agencies also increase……driving the demand. Adoption scams have been around for a long period of time and the Internet only leads to more avenues and ways for those scams to occur. Be also aware that adoption scams not only happen to adoptive parents, they happen to expectant parents, birthmothers, adoptees and adoption professionals. Competition among adoption professionals is great. Unfortunately adoption is a business. The expectant mothers are at risk for being exploited. The general rule of thumb is that there is one expectant mother for every 60 adoptive couples. Thus why do adoption professionals advertise they need adoptive couples? Perhaps to lure them into their services? To retain their fee to pay for they’re overhead?

Below are just SOME examples of what can occur……

#1. When people are looking into adoption, they most normally start out by checking what options are available in their states. Some people go on the net to do their research and may find a support system or may find even more resources. Either way, everyone must have an attorney, or agency involved in his or her adoption process. Which one they use goes according to their state laws or the laws of the state where baby is born.

#2. At times adoptions fail. That can happen if a expectant parent decides to parent or the person was pregnant and never was placing in the first place (hard to prove), was working with more then one entity at the same time, or was never pregnant and was conning for the purpose of money or just conning for some attention.

#3. Prospective Adoptive Parents need to advocate for themselves, educate themselves and arm themselves with knowledge.

Others who scam are those in the adoption profession.

Their scams maybe:

a. Have an expectant mother and you must send your money right away. Expectant mom does not exist, and the Facilitator has up to $9800.00 of your adoption fund. (They usually do not go up to $10,000.00 because it would not be grand theft if they were too be successfully prosecuted.

b. Adoption professional has heard of a situation with out checking it out thoroughly, has pap's sign up with them for a fee, and the situation does not work out, and now the pap's are locked in with their adoption budget tied up, and they are waiting on a long list for a rematch. (Called “Bait and Switch”)

c. We busted an Adoption agency director for playing off as an expectant mom just to pull in clients.

#3. How to determine you have been scammed?

a. Some people never know for sure.

b. Finding the right support, whether on the Internet, through your Attorney, Agency, Facilitator, Referral Service and you or they have been given the facts and they have been thoroughly investigated.

c. Expectant mothers refusing to work with an agency or continually needing money or having a crisis. Adoption professionals claiming you will lose a match if you don’t commit immediately to a situation.

#4. When one finds they have been scammed by a con, where can they go for help, or what can they do to report this scammer?

a. You will find some people do not want to admit they have been scammed. You will find some people choose to write it off and move on. And you will find some people get angry and want to stop this scammer, as they realize that she will move on to his/her next victim.

b. Do you call someone in your state? Do you call someone in the scammers state? Do you have the documentation to present? Can you get the other victims to do the same? Do you have the emotional stamina to keep searching answers until you reach someone who will listen?

c. At times you do find an investigator, a District Attorney, or others who can and will help. This varies community-to-community, not state-to-state. (And they are few and far between).

d. There are not laws on the books to get those in authority to listen to you. If it is an agency, you can go to licensing in that state and log a complaint.

#5. Why does one think it is so easy for these scammers to work in the adoption world?

a. There are no laws regulating "expectant mom expenses" across the states. They vary state-to-state.

b. Some Adoption professionals do not thoroughly "check out" the information given by an expectant parent and just move into the "matching stage" and then ask to be provided with "proof of pregnancy" and any other information they need. If they did this ahead of time, allot of the scammers would be caught. It is stated that there are not a lot of expectant parents looking to do an adoption plan, and Adoption Professional are starting to do what ever it takes to "hang on to that expectant parent", and the pap's are the one who's funds keep the Adoption Professionals "up and running". Domestic Adoption cost is now up to $40,000.00. Children have now become a "commodity" and we are looking at "supply and demand"

c. Some pap's use advertising, just as most adoption professionals do, to do an independent and private adoption. And once they are involved with the expectant parents their heart takes over and "cons" have the ability to tell one exactly what they want to hear and have answers for every question asked. They have the ability to "dangle" the baby in front of ones eyes and keep them hanging on to their hopes.

#6. Myths in adoption scams:

If you are online doing adoption you will get scammed. There are cases where pap’s and scammers have not worked online. Scammers are not new to adoption, but the Internet has allowed for more scammers.

#7. How to protect yourself from being scammed?

Sincerely,

Kelly and Lynne

“Ethical Adoptions are a MUST!”
http://adoptionscams.net