A mid-Missouri TV station interviewed me recently because of a Craiglist posting about a baby available for adoption - for free. Sounds fishy already, right? It gets worse. The "mother" was supposedly in Africa somewhere and had her husband die recently. "She" claimed to have a baby she wanted to go to a good home.  Here is the story.

 This has all the markings of an adoption scam. My guess is that any consumer who expressed interest would receive photos of the baby, health updates, etc. All this would serve to get them emotionally hooked. Then the "mother" will ask for money - for a medical complication, diapers, travel to the U.S., whatever. This "mother" may very well be a he, and there is almost certainly no baby.

Our Welcome Home publication, released last summer, is a consumer guide that walks you through the complicated process of adoption. There is also a section, on page 15, on adoption scams. Basic tips are to work with an adoption professional (like a reputable agency or lawyer) and never send money directly to the birth parent(s).

Like all publications, Welcome Home is available for free at our online order form.