A Massachusetts mother recently learned a lesson about the potential dangers of the online world when she discovered that her seven-month-old son's photo was being used as part of an online adoption scam.

An article on the website of WCVB - The Boston Channel provided the following details:

"Out of the blue, some girl e-mailed us and said, 'I think you should know someone's using Jake's picture in an adoption scam'," said [Jenni] Brennan, who said she found the message hard to believe.

Brennan followed the link included in the email and found an ad on the Craigslist Web site. The ad promised that a 'cute baby boy' was available for adoption, but did not include a picture. Brennan decided to play detective and sent an e-mail to the address listed. She quickly received a picture in her inbox.

The e-mail indicated that her son was living in an orphanage in Cameroon -- and informed her that she could begin the adoption process for a fee of $30. Brennan alerted Craigslist, which removed the ad, and law enforcement authorities, who launched an investigation.

She has also restricted access to her family blog, which is where she thinks her son's picture was taken from.

Labels: scams

Posted By: Aspen/CRC