Avoid Adoption Scams

How to Avoid Being a Victim of Adoption Scams

Although the waiting period can be incredibly long, a public adoption agency can still guarantee you completely safe and positive results for your efforts. You just have to wait long and hard. If, however, you’re willing to pay more to reduce the waiting period, just make sure you practice care when choosing which private adoption agency to work with.

How to Find a Legitimate Private Adoption Agency

Follow the steps below to avoid becoming a victim of fraudulent private adoption agencies.

The best way to look for a legitimate private adoption agency is to ask for referrals from trusted sources such as your friends, relatives, or colleagues. Don't trust secondhand referrals. A credible source is one who has actual experience or contact with the referred private adoption agency.

If you don't know anyone who can make such a referral, the next thing to do is check your directory and other similar listings. Check with the necessary government agency to confirm whether or not they truly have the license to operate. Check with the Better Business Bureau as well to know if they’ve received any complaints regarding the agencies you’re interested in.

Join adoption support groups to receive other reports and valuable information regarding possibly fraudulent private adoption agencies.

How to Avoid Being a Victim of Adoption Scams

If you are working with an independent adoption agent, make sure that he has the necessary licenses to act as such.

If the agency or agent promises you a no-wait adoption, you’re getting conned. All processes of adoption, no matter how nice the birth or adoptive parents are, always take time simply because they have a significant impact on a child’s life. This is a child you’re adopting – not a pet – so a no-wait period is incredibly suspicious.

Private adoption agencies occasionally ask for upfront or registration fees. This is understandable because they’re funded privately and operate for profit unlike public adoption agencies. What’s not understandable or acceptable is when they ask too much for an upfront fee. If you’re facing the same situation – look for another agency because you’re dangerously near to getting conned once more.

If a private adoption agency is unwilling to disclose ANY information at all about their procedures and about your prospective adoptive child, it’s possible that they’re concealing nonexistent facts and they’re still an illegitimate company in disguise. Adoption is a sensitive decision so an agency should be more than willing to address your concerns.

Always double check the records presented to you regarding the profile of your adoptive child. In cases of wrongful adoption, an adoption agency will deliberately deceive you regarding certain characteristics of your adoptive child – traits or conditions that might not make him ideal anymore in your eyes. You still get the child in the end, but he’s not what or who you thought he was and this could be quite an emotional tragedy for both of you.

Adopting a child can be tricky if the birth parents are alive and demand contact with you as an adoptive parent. There’s a good possibility that he’ll blackmail you in the future and extort money. You can prevent this from happening by having your lawyer draw up a contract that will stipulate what your preferences are regarding the relationship between you and the birth parents of the newest member of your family.

Don't pay any money without a contract. Don't sign a contract without reading the terms and conditions carefully then having your legal counsel explain each and every step to ensure that you completely understand what you’re getting into.

If an adoption agency is willing to let you adopt a child without submitting any requirements and in exchange for a stipulated price, be very wary because the child you’re adopting could have been obtained by illegal means. Although it doesn’t make you privy to the crimes they’ve committed, there’s still a chance that your adoptive child will be taken away from you if the truth comes out.

Transacting with a private adoption agency is truly quite risky, even if it affords you more privacy and convenience than public adoption agencies can provide, so do take care with each step you take. Focus not only on adopting a child for the right reasons but also through the right means!