Always make sure to work with a reputable licensed adoption agency and a reputable attorney who specializes in adoptions, such as those who are Fellows of the Academy of Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Attorneys.

Unethical adoption service providers can take advantage of an emotionally charged process to deceive and defraud prospective adoptive parents or birth parents considering adoption. Learn what to look out for, how to protect yourself and your family, and what to do if you think you may be a victim.

Common Adoption Schemes

• Double matching occurs when a birth mother’s baby is matched to more than one prospective adoptive parent.
• Fabricated matching occurs when prospective adoptive parents are matched to a fictitious birth mother, a birth mother who is not pregnant, or a birth mother who is not genuinely interested in placing her baby for adoption.
• Fee-related adoption schemes occur when adoption service providers require prospective adoptive parents to pay exorbitant fees up front or on a recurring bases but fail to provide services promised.

How to Protect Yourself from Adoption Scams

When choosing an adoption service provider, do your research.  Be aware of what fraudulent providers may do or ask you to do:

• Misrepresent professional licenses or education
• Make unsolicited contact to sign up birth mothers or prospective adoptive parents
• Be difficult to reach via phone or email, despite multiple attempts
• Unnecessarily control communications between adoption participants
• Quote highly negotiable and inconsistent fees
• Encourage prospective adoptive parents to pay expenses immediately to avoid losing out on opportunity to adopt
• Demonstrate a pattern of requesting additional unexpected fees throughout the process

Make guarantees about the adoption process, such as:

• Matching within a specified time-frame
• Birth parents’ willingness to adopt
• How quickly and easily the adoption will be legally finalized
• Know other red flags to look out for during the adoption process.
• Lack of proof of pregnancy or proof of inadequate details, like missing dates
• History of failed adoptions due to unusual circumstances
• Adoption participants pressured to sign documents they don’t fully understand
• Adoption participants encouraged to falsify statements and documents to finalize the adoption

Additionally, birth parents should recognize signs of an exploitative situation, which may include:

• Being coerced or manipulated into placing a child for adoption
• Getting assigned prospective adoptive parents without being involved in the choice
• Being pressured to follow through with an adoption or being told you will have to repay covered expenses if you change your mind

Again, always work with a reputable adoption professional.  If you believe that you are being targeted for and adoption fraud, you can contact the local authorities or FBI, either online or at its local office. To avoid adoption scams, speak with an attorney who specializes in adoptions.  Call Don Cofsky at  856-429-5005.  To schedule a consultation at one of our Pennsylvania or New Jersey offices, call 856-429-5005. You can also talk to our team by filling out our contact form.