A 28-year-old woman is at the center of an adoption scam, and Texas police want to make sure no one else is hurt by her actions.

According to Texas's Times Record News, Amanda May Gunn has been charged with theft for taking money from two couples who expressed interest in adopting her unborn baby:

"Promising her baby to each one of them, she was able to gain financial benefits from them," [Detective Tony] Ramirez said. After a couple learned from a third party that the adoption was not going to happen and this baby would not be going to them although they had been paying for support, they contacted police, Ramirez said.

The couple had paid more than $20,000 in fees, including $5,000 that went directly to Gunn. Texas police are asking anyone who thinks they may have also been victim of Gunn to contact them at 940-761-7762.

Source: Times Record News (TX)

Labels: scams

Posted By: Aspen/CRC 1 Comment

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

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In Boulder, Colorado last week, 48-year-old Lisa Novak was sentenced to 90 days in jail and 12 years probation for stealing money from the clients of the international adoption agency that she and her husband owned.

"The foundation's former clients... insisted that Novak go to jail. [These clients] said they spent thousands to adopt a boy from Nicaragua, only to have to finalize everything themselves after months of delay, and that an attempt to adopt a 3-year-old Nicaraguan girl... failed altogether."

Novak's attorney said that, because international adoptions are risky, payment for services doesn't guarantee a successful adoption. In addition to imposing jail time and probation, the judge in the case also barred Novak from working in the adoption field. Source: The Longmont (CO) Times-Call

Labels: scams

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Judith Leekin will spend 20 years in prison for adoption-related crimes and her abuse of the children she adopted. Arrested in 2007, Leekin was charged with several counts of aggravated child abuse.

"Leekin used four aliases to adopt children from different agencies and created fake report cards to show the children's progress, even though they were not attending school, according to court records and officials."

Leekin has also been sentenced to 11 years for fraud. Source: MSNBC

Labels: scams, abuse

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Americans are responding en masse to the devastating earthquake that hit China recently. American adoption agencies have seen a dramatic increase in the number of people interesting in adopting children orphaned by the tragedy. But would-be adoptive parents are advised to be aware that some unsavory individuals are attempting to take advantage of this catastrophe for fraudulent purposes.

"Now that increased interest to adopt has prompted a scam targeting American families, who are hoping to help a Chinese orphan find a home. 'They've been contacted from China, and [are] being offered an opportunity to adopt a child from the earthquake region... for an adoption fee of fifteen thousand dollars,' says [Lanny] Knight."

Knight is the Executive Director of an adoption agency and he warns people not to fall for this scam. Legitimate adoption agencies won't cold call people with adoption offers. Knight urges people to make sure that adoption agencies are legally licensed entities. Source: KMPH News - Fresno, California

Labels: China, scams, fraud

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Guatemala is second only to China in the number of children that are adopted by US couples each year, but has the fewest regulations and restrictions in the region. This week, Guatemalan police discovered and rescued 46 children during a raid on a clandestine orphanage in Old Guatemala.

"Although authorities involved in this weekend's bust found paperwork that indicated family members had given the children up for adoption, the papers had not passed through the juvenile court which 'is the correct path for every adoption process,' said [prosecutor general spokesman Carlos] Azurdia."

The US State Department has called the Guatemalan adoption process rife with "conflicts of interest" and "improper financial gain". Read more at TurkishPress.com.

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Labels: orphanages, scams, adoption_process

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Jessica Dreves promised a couple from Port Washington, Florida, that they could adopt her baby once she gave birth. The couple sent Dreves a total of over $7,000 during the course of her pregnancy, to cover medical expenses, food, and even clothing. Dreves was due in October, but disappeared in September.

“In March, 2009, Dreves agreed to give up her baby for adoption to a Massachusetts couple through the Iowa-based adoption agency, Abby’s One True Gift. In addition to that agreement, Dreves then answered an advertisement from Lisa and Joseph Weiner of Port Washington who were looking to adopt a baby.” [Source: Port Washington News]

After Dreves gave birth, she refused to talk to the Port Washington couple, who filed a complaint. Dreves was arrested Feb. 13 for fraud, and was arraigned July 19.

 

Labels: scams

Posted By: Adoption Issues 1 Comment