[Amysue1112]

Did anyone see this tonight? It was about a woman in the US who lied to like 5 couples about giving them her baby....it was awful! And people ask why we went international.....

[JPDakota]

I'm not adopting from Russia, but I saw this thread on the home page. I watched the show. Practically made me sick to my stomach. DH left the room. We actually got scammed on an international adoption, but that's beside the point. Didn't you really want that woman to go to jail? She's a crook, a nasty crook. And we're supposed to feel sorry for her? You have to be kidding me. I say she should feel free to get all the counseling she wants IN JAIL.

[lakimnafite]

Not yet, it starts in 20 minutes!

[Mommyto?]

I saw it with my husband and we were disgusted!!! There needs to be a law in ever state against birthmom who do things like that. We haven't adopted yet, but strongly leaning toward Guata.

[DaniJ]

of course, international is not guarentee against fraud, either....
They started suspecting my agency around mid 2004 (a few months after we signed with them), but weren't able to get enough data/families/complaints, etc to shut them down until Jan. 2006. by then 18 families and up to 26 children had been scammed out of being 'forever families'.
Crooks know no boundries.
And yes, she should be in jail. As a family defraded, yes, she should be in jail (the president of our agency is in jail in Russia!)

[JPDakota]

Originally Posted by DaniJ

of course, international is not guarentee against fraud, either....
They started suspecting my agency around mid 2004 (a few months after we signed with them), but weren't able to get enough data/families/complaints, etc to shut them down until Jan. 2006. by then 18 families and up to 26 children had been scammed out of being 'forever families'.
Crooks know no boundries.
And yes, she should be in jail. As a family defraded, yes, she should be in jail (the president of our agency is in jail in Russia!)

In jail in Russia? That's OUTSTANDING! I admire you for being a terrier (a complimentary term at our house). Good work.

[kretzklan]

Yes - I watched it...scary stuff.

[lovestruck]

I just finished watching it and cried the entire time!

[fugie]

Here is a related story from the website with the story from tonight

dateline.msnbc.com

[Amysue1112]

JPDakota and DaniJ.....sooo sorry that you had to deal with "crooks" too!! It just TICKS ME OFF!!!!!!!! IF we, as couples that can't bear children down already have enough to deal with!
Yes, I know it can happen in int'l too, but at least when your home, your home. I could never rest knowing the ** may be lurking around the corner...I know there are laws, and some states are better than others...but STILL!
And that woman, that disgusting exuse for a human, a waste of human protoplasm!!! What was scariest for me was that she actually LOOKED hurt and sad. This is what scares me about people. Some are the best of actors/actresses....it is creepy how she could just sit there and act like she didn't know what she was doing..HA! puke!

[BrandyHagz]

I dunno, I think its more unfortunate that these horror stories are portrayed as the norm in domestic adoption, while the happy stories (of which there are far more) go largely unnoticed – thus resulting in the ‘birthmothers are bad’ mentality.

I hope domestic adoption, more specifically, birthmothers of children placed domestically here in the US, get a fair shake in the media at some point…like the recent Russian Adoption story Dateline did.

I just hate seeing stereotypically stories about anything being portrayed as the norm…then being perpetuated by others…as I’m sure you guys do when a negative story about Russian adoption is run.

[Amysue1112]

I didn't really take it as "norm", but I am glad they ran it, because quite frankly, I am ignorant to how things go in domestic adoption, and it is good to know that there are people out there that do these things.
Sadly, this was just not one case...it was one woman who hurt a whole lot of people.
The media does love running anything that is negative, that is for sure. But this was also informative in my opinion. THose of us that don't have sick minds (well, sick, dangerous minds!) can't even imagine how people come up with ideas like this. It is beyond imaginable!!!

[BrandyHagz]

but I am glad they ran it, because quite frankly, I am ignorant to how things go in domestic adoption

Well, I guess that's one way to look at it...of course, I would never allow the media to educate myself on things related to Russian Adoption...which is why I read the forums here.

Sadly, what you saw tonight does happen (as does the things we hear about in the media in regards to Russian Adoption) - but like you guys always point out, the numbers are so small - why not focus on the good - the thousands of adoptions that happen every year here in the US that go off without a hitch?

Ya know...like you guys are always talking about when a bad Russian story is run...

[Shoshana]

Um, I think it would be accurate to say that this woman was NOT a birth mother. She was an expectant mother who was a con artist. She conned people who were hoping to adopt a child.

There needs to be a law in ever state against birthmom who do things like that.

A woman is not a birthmother until she relinquishes a child for adoption. This woman was a con artist. There are already laws against this.

Many people who adopt internationally are NOT afraid of birthmothers -- some of us even have our own, and others here are birthmothers.

I find this thread really hard to read and applaud Brandy's restraint in responding.

[Isabo]

Originally Posted by Amysue1112

JPDakota and DaniJ.....sooo sorry that you had to deal with "crooks" too!! It just TICKS ME OFF!!!!!!!! IF we, as couples that can't bear children down already have enough to deal with!
Yes, I know it can happen in int'l too, but at least when your home, your home. I could never rest knowing the ** may be lurking around the corner...I know there are laws, and some states are better than others...but STILL!

AmySue,

Wow! Your post is incredibly offensive. Birthmother LURKING around the corner? This show was about a CON ARTIST!! It was about how a woman, who had already conned her first husband, figured out how to con some more people. It wasn't about how potential birthmothers are all criminals. There are laws in every state which make fraudulent acts unlawful. You know, there are incidents of adoptive parents committing fraud when obtaining "their child." Are you upset about that? What about the potential adoptive parents who are lurking around pregnant women, trying to pressure them to relinquish? That happens too. Are you upset about that??

Please - let's not take one show about a criminal and use it as a reason to support your biases. Oh, and use of the intials B and M for birthmother are considered offensive by many in this forum - that is the reason they are automatically starred out. You can refer to the Acronomys link at the top of this page if you want more information on acceptable abbreviations to use.