EMPTY PROMISES, EMPTY CRADLES
Adoption Scams Bilk Victims, Break Hearts
08/28/06
The couples all
had their hearts set on adopting a child. They were eventually introduced to
an Indiana woman who agreed to provide a healthy baby from Russia…for
a price. They started to get excited when they saw a picture of their promised
child for the first time. Then, they anxiously waited for the day when they
could finally meet the new member of their family.
Only that day never
came. They had been scammed.
At least six couples in the Midwest were victimized by this adoption fraud
scheme. And there are plenty more rip-offs like this one around the country:
cases where birth mothers promised their unborn children to more than one couple
or who weren’t even pregnant…where couples did business with phony
domestic adoption agencies or facilitators…or where the international
adoptions weren’t sanctioned by the home country or even involved kidnapped
children.
“It’s really
awful. These con artists feed on their victims’ hopes
and then they get crushed,” says Special Agent Patrick B. Sullivan, who
worked an adoption fraud case out of Florida in 2001. In fact, the FBI often
calls on its Office
for Victims Assistance
to help the victims.
In the Florida case, a woman contacted over a dozen victims through an Internet
site for people wanting to adopt. She claimed she knew women about to give
birth, then asked for either small administrative fees or for money to help
the birth mother with expenses. “She milked them along, raking in the
money, until they figured out they were being taken,” Sullivan said.
In the Indiana case, Victoria Farahan approached the director of a new local
adoption ministry and said she could provide healthy newborns from Hospital
31 in Moscow. She provided pictures of the babies—which turned out to
be pictures of her own children. She also sent the victims e-mails during her “trips” to
Russia. “Farahan was very good at sprinkling in little bits of truth,” said
Special Agent Steven T. Secor, who led the investigation. “She was very
convincing. And she was dealing with couples that wanted babies and were willing
to overlook some things.” She eventually duped six couples out of a total
of $97,500. On July 17, Farahan pled guilty to two counts of mail fraud and
five counts of wire fraud.
The monetary losses are just the beginning of the toll the scams
take . Filled with hope, victims often decorate nurseries, renovate
their homes, or buy bigger houses. Some plan for maternity leave or even
quit their jobs.
“It’s heartbreaking,” said Special Agent Darin L. Werkmeister,
who led an investigation of a woman in Philadelphia who defrauded at least
44 sets of prospective parents out of $215,000 in the ‘90s. “People
will eventually recover from the financial loss. But the emotional trauma was
much worse. For some victims, it’s like losing a child.”
So how can families seeking to adopt protect themselves?
- Do your homework. Most states require agencies and facilitators to be
licensed.
- Don’t rely solely on the Internet for research. Meet the agency
or facilitator in person. Ask for documentation and references.
- Be skeptical if agencies or individuals say they have shortcuts.
- Hire your own social worker to interview the birthmother.
- For international
adoptions, check with the U.S.
Department of State for tips and more
information.
Links: Common fraud schemes |
The Consumer Sentinel fraud site