Be Careful of Online Adoption Scams

There are many ways to go about adopting a child, but you do need to be careful. While the internet can provide you with a way to get your desires known, it can also lead to heartache. There are many online adoption scams operated by agencies as well as by individuals. They are out to get your money, and they know that the emotional link people have to getting a child is very strong. Therefore most people will pay a great deal of money in the quest to adopt a child.

Many of these online adoption scams seem very legitimate which is why so many people fall for them. Some people have been in contact with what they think are young pregnant girls looking for a home for their child. After paying a ton of money though they find out there was no baby or they end up never hearing from that person again. It can be extremely hard to track down those responsible for such online adoption scams too which is why they often do them.

Before you give any money, make arrangements to meet the people involved at your own expense. Try to set the meeting up at a public location such as a restaurant or other place with plenty of people around. That way neither party has to feel in danger of meeting people they don’t know. If they refuse to meet you or make excuses then you should take that as a red flag that all is not legitimate.

Others won’t even give you a phone number to reach them and that means they are attempting to stay as anonymous as possible. Don’t pay for them to come to you either as that is a way for them to get money out of you. When you go to them you are able to find out where they are located. If they hide that information from you then there is a chance they aren’t really going to give you their baby, if they are even really pregnant.

Another red flag is when the pregnant mother is in a rush to find someone to take her baby. Even those that don’t want to keep it are going to take the time to find the right parents for it. This means they will want to know about you and about your financial ability to care for their baby. If they don’t ask such questions it is a common indicator that they don’t have any intention of ever delivering a baby into your arms.

Don’t allow pressures such as those from online adoption agencies to get your money fast. Some of them will tell you that they have a child ready that was for another adoption that fell through at the last minute. They will tell you that if you pay the fees now you will be able to adopt that child. Many people do it as they don’t want to pass up the chance to get a child of their own. However, as soon as they pay for those fees they never hear from the adoption agency again.

If you feel you have been taken advantage of through an online adoption scam you need to report it immediately. The information you provide can be what law enforcement needs to stop someone that has been doing this over and over again to people for the money. Don’t be embarrassed by what occurred and keep it to yourself because that allows them to continue doing the same thing to other people.

While many online adoption methods are legitimate you just need to be careful. Make sure you verify all of the information you get and don’t just take it at face value. Never give anyone money online for adoption fees without talking to your attorney first. Many of these scams work by telling you that they can’t care for the baby during the pregnancy such as being homeless or without food. Then you will send them money to help pay for such expenses. You want to make sure you aren’t being taken for a ride as they can be offering you pictures of someone else that is pregnant and you won’t know the difference.