Beware Birth Mother Adoption Scams

Adoption is a beautiful gift for both the birth parents and the adoptive parents. Unfortunately, however, there are plenty of ways for a birth mother to scam prospective adoptive parents, especially those who are desperate for children. When you decide to adopt a baby, there are certain precautions that you should take in order to protect your own interests (and your finances).

The most common birth mother adoption scams are used to milk money from desperate couples who want to adopt a baby. Some birth mothers will promise their babies to more than one couple (sometimes up to twenty) and will request money for hospital bills, medical emergencies, rent, food and other needs. When a couple is unable to have a child, it can be easy to believe a birth mother's sob stories because it gets them closer to adopting a child. If you aren't careful, however, you could wind up with a big hole in your wallet and no child to show for it.

To protect themselves, most adoptive parents choose to work through a qualified adoption attorney or agency. This way, the proper forms and documents are signed and the pregnancy is verified independently. If you choose to adopt without the assistance of a professional, you run the risk of meeting with a birth mother who only wants your money.

Often, birth mother scams start with the birth mother calling a pregnancy hotline or contacting someone in child services. She'll tell that person that she doesn't want to keep her baby -- she might even say that the baby is a product of rape or incest -- and that she needs to contact couples who are looking to adopt. This way, she doesn't have to seek adoptive parents through an attorney or agency and the process isn't structured. Out of the kindness of his or her heart, the contact person will put her in touch with prospective couples, and the scam begins.