NCJ Number
188592
Journal
White Paper Volume: 15 Issue: 2 Dated: March/April 2001 Pages: 35-37,44,46
Date Published
2001
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article describes the author's (an investigative accountant) investigation of a case of child adoption fraud through the use of the Internet to solicit customers.
Abstract
The article explains the steps taken to expose a fraudulent adoption service advertised on the Internet. The scheme involved taking money from clients by promising the adoption of babies that did not exist. Following a description of the investigative steps taken in this case, the author outlines some general investigative steps for similar cases. One suggestion was to post messages on adoption web sites, seeking other couples who believe they may have been scammed by an adoption facilitator. The author then provides a list of groups, along with their web-site addresses, which can assist in adoption fraud investigations. In the case at issue, the investigator compared information from all the known victims of the scam and developed birth-mother information, hospital names, and the babies' approximate birth dates as communicated to the victims by the fraudulent adoption service. The investigator then contacted one large hospital where several of the babies supposedly were born and found that none of the alleged birth mothers had entered the hospital on or about the dates provided by the fraudulent adoption service. The investigation also examined the copies of the victims' cancelled certified checks and bank transfer documents to determine where the suspects did their banking. The evidence was submitted to the FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. This led to an indictment and a conviction.