Recognizing Adoption Scams Before Your Heart is Broken

Ninety-five percent of birth moms just want loving parents to raise their child. They aren’t looking for large amounts of money or attention; in fact, scamming someone at such a sensitive time is the last thing on their mind.

They’re in just as much of a vulnerable position as adoptive parents-maybe more. People just have to be aware of the red flags. Gabby Watson has all of them.

The Tricks of the Adoption Hoax

It’s common for adoptive couples and birth mothers to post profiles and communicate online. In fact, many couples have their first interactions with potential birth mothers over text or via video chat. For the well-intentioned, this can be a successful way to ease into a relationship during what is a sensitive and uncertain time. For the scammer, it’s a gold mine.

Gabby Watson, for example, created numerous fake online profiles, mining the Facebook pages of friends of her high school friends for photos of expecting couples, ultrasounds, and newborn infants. She reached out to hundreds of prospective parents, often on forums such as America Adopts. Then the dance would begin, with Gabby-or one of her alter egos-engaging in a months-long charade during which she would consume as much time and attention of the prospective parents as possible for as long as she could…