Adoption Fraud
I got an email several days ago from an agency “social worker”. The email included information on a little boy from Guatemala and stated that they desperately needed to find a home for him.
He was only a few days old and they did not have ANY paper ready families in their agency ready to accept him. Were we ready and were we interested?
The next email I got from this social worker was the adoption fees and regulations. The following email was the registration form for the agency and then another email regarding a girl referral. The next email that came was one that included 4 boys, two of which were the same picture.
Now, the reason I got so many emails from this particular social worker was because I had responded to her. Why did I do this? Because I was interested in what she had to say and HOW she had to say it. Was she legitimate?
My observations and opinions:
1. She was WAY too pushy. To me, she seemed like a used car salesman. Sure, she answered my questions honestly and was quick to respond but to me it seemed like she wanted to make a sale.
2. There were mistakes. She sent out an email to pre-adoptive parents that contained a mislabeled picture of a prospective referral. As an adoptive parent already I know the risks of bait and switch…this makes me very wary.
3. After looking at their fees I am even more cautious. They are at least 10,000 higher than ANY of the agencies that we looked at (and we looked at the most reputable ones).
4. They were no better than our agency when it came down to it. I specifically asked her the time frame from start to finish, from acceptance to coming home. Her answer was about 9 months. In reality that is exactly where we are right now.
The good thing is that when I told her that I was not interested and to please stop emailing me she did. Classy.
According to Adoption.com fraud is any intentional misrepresentation or illegal act.
- An adoption agency or facilitator that charges exorbitant fees, and is not properly staffed.
- An agency or facilitator that accepts money for services never rendered.
- Agency misrepresentation of a child’s emotional and physical history, or background. This is generally referred to as “wrongful adoption.”
- An expectant or biological parent accepting money for expenses from more than one prospective adoptive parent, with or without any intention of completing the adoption process.
As Pre-Adoptive Parents…Precautionary Steps to Take
Trust your instincts.
Ask the hard questions.
Know the law.
Listen to Experience.
When Something Does Go Wrong:Despite your best efforts, you may find yourself on the wrong end of a scam or caught up in someone else’s fraudulent activity.
- Consult your attorney, and if you don’t have one, find one. This should be your first step, not last.
- Report what you believe to be fraudulent, illegal, or unethical practices on the part of an agency or facilitator to:
- Your state adoption licensing specialist
- Better Business Bureau
- Joint Council on International Children’s Services (JCICS) (for international adoptions)
- National Adoption Information Clearinghouse (NAIC)
- Attorney General in the state concerned
- Your elected officials (that’s what they’re there for)
- For fraudulent practices over the Internet, contact the Internet Fraud Complaint Center.
