Adoption fraud

Adoption fraud, also known as illegal adoption, can be defined as when a person or institute tries to adopt a child illegally or to give up a child for adoption illegally.^[1] Common ways in which this can be done include dishonesty and bribes.^[1][2]

Prevalence and statistics

Accurate statistics for adoption fraud are limited. However, according to government statistics, "603 adoptions were recorded by Greece's courts in 2005, an increase of 20 percent over the previous year. But fewer than 60 of these adoptions were carried out through state channels",^[3] meaning that in some regions of the world up to 90% of adoptions may be illegal.

Prevention and variants

Genetics and other forms of identification may help in convicting and catching those who commit adoption fraud. This technology also has the potential to block potential criminals from committing this crime beforehand.^[4][5]

Consequences

In addition to being a crime that is a felony in many criminal jurisdictions (including the United States) International adoption fraud is also an international crime. Perpetrators of this felony may face imprisonment and fines if they are convicted.^[4][5][6][7]

Famous cases

• The Adoption of Case No. 6815 Michael Edward Chalek Circuit Court of the 8th Judicial Circuit in and for Alachua County Florida
• Scott and Karen Banks - Focus on Children, Utah-Samoa
• Others involved: Dan Wakefield
• The Adoption of Michelle Riess - New Jersey (1976)
• The Tennessee Children's Home Society, an unlicensed adoption agency used by its longtime director Georgia Tann as a front for black market adoptions. An investigation in 1950 revealed the illegal activities of the Society; Tann died that year before she could be prosecuted. Many celebrities, among them Joan Crawford and the husband-wife pair of Dick Powell and June Allyson, used the Society for their adoptions, but were unaware of the means Tann used to obtain children. Professional wrestling legend Ric Flair was one of the last children adopted through the Society.
• The legal kidnapping of James Elliott Rossler in 2015. His mother had arranged an adoption through Adoption Rocks before deciding to keep her baby while she was still pregnant. When he was taken in for medical issues three weeks after his birth Cook Children’s Medical Center used child abuse accusations as a pretext to send him to his intended adoptive mother, Katherine Sharp. His parents made The Bring Baby Elliott Home Facebook page to bring attention to their case, which was temporarily taken down by court order until the Supreme Court overruled it in June 2019.^[8] On March 14th, 2025 Elliot was returned to his parents Destiny Kondor (previously Kimberley Rossler) and Jonathan Kondor.

Television

The Dr. Phil Show had an episode revolving around an adoption scam between a couple and single mother. The couple placed an ad on Craigslist to which the scammer immediately replied. The couple was sent fake ultrasounds and fake medical reports, and received money. With the use of technology, the scammer was able to keep the lie about giving the child to them for more than nine months. The episode informed people about signs to look out for when adopting a child, especially when it is not through an adoption agency.^[9]

See also

• Human trafficking
• List of international adoption scandals