TL;DR: Foster and adoptive parents face an emotional, paperwork-heavy process with strangers. Work only with licensed, accredited adoption agencies, and verify any document request directly with your caseworker through a known contact.
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Foster and adoptive parents face an emotional, paperwork-heavy process with strangers.
Common Tactics Used
Fake adoption 'facilitators' request large upfront fees with no real match, and phishing emails impersonate agencies requesting sensitive documents during an active case.
How to Protect Against It
Work only with licensed, accredited adoption agencies, and verify any document request directly with your caseworker through a known contact.
What Family and Friends Can Do
Sudden secrecy about money, unusual withdrawals, or a new online relationship that stays undisclosed are all worth a calm, judgment-free conversation. The earlier a scam is caught, the more can usually be recovered.
If this looks similar to something else you've seen, it's worth reading Scams Targeting Freelancers and Gig Workers.
This pattern shows up elsewhere too — see Scams Targeting People Searching for Long-Lost Family.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are they specifically targeted?
Foster and adoptive parents face an emotional, paperwork-heavy process with strangers.
What tactics do scammers use?
Fake adoption 'facilitators' request large upfront fees with no real match, and phishing emails impersonate agencies requesting sensitive documents during an active case.
How can they protect themselves?
Work only with licensed, accredited adoption agencies, and verify any document request directly with your caseworker through a known contact.
What should family or friends watch for?
Sudden secrecy about money or new online relationships, unusual withdrawals or wire transfers, and reluctance to discuss a new "opportunity" or contact in detail are all worth a gentle, non-judgmental conversation.
What should I do if I think this has already happened?
Stop all contact and payments immediately, report it to the appropriate authority, and contact the bank or payment provider involved to see what can be recovered.