How to Avoid Adoption Scams That Exploit the Word of God and Its Believers

Avoid adoption scams in Christian adoptionA faith that can’t be tested can’t be trusted.
—Warren Wiersbe

It is tragic that there are many people who use the name of our Lord to manipulate and cheat others. This world is full of rebellious and greedy individuals who will go to any length to make money. Sadly, Christian adoption is no exception. There are many people who use God’s Word and talk ‘Christianese’ to dupe unwitting and desperate couples of their hard-earned money.

Some of the most common scams in Christian adoption are listed below, so that you can be wary of them in your quest to adopt a baby:

  • Adoption from African countries, especially Cameroon – Some couples try to adopt a baby using their own resources instead of a professional adoption agency. They unwittingly transfer funds to unscrupulous individuals and end up without a baby and a huge hole in their wallet.
  • Adoption of multiples – Some women try to give up twins and triplets without sufficient evidence of pregnancy. If they refuse to get in touch with your attorney or adoption coordinator, that’s a big warning sign. You must exercise caution in such cases.
  • Other Cases – Some other common means of scams include asking money immediately after sharing a very desperate and sad story, adoption professionals who advertise and ‘shop around’ for adoptive families, and adoption professionals who ask you to ‘invest’ money to show you to a prospective birth mother.

How Can You Avoid Such Scams?

Firstly, trust God to lead you to the child He has waiting for you. When you deal with innumerable frustrations and heart-breaks of adoption, you may be tempted to question the motives of every adoption professional and agency. This will leave you jaded and exhausted. When you believe that God has a good plan for your future and is willing to take your hand and guide you through the bumpy road of adoption, it releases you to come under the power and protection of His grace, mercy, and love. Trust in God and His timing. Ask Him to give you the wisdom needed to see through such scams and make the right decisions at the right time. Secondly, choose an experienced and reliable adoption professional to guide you through the adoption process and help you stay out of the traps of adoption scams.

 
 

Your Adoption Journey – Invite God to Be Your Travel Mate

Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish. 

No matter where you are in your adoption journey, it is never too late to include God in your plans to bring home a baby. Even though in Mathew 18:14 Jesus is referring to the sheep that go astray, there is a remarkable message for those contemplating adoption. God does not want anyone to miss out on His free gift of salvation. Many couples question themselves on whether it is really God’s will for them to adopt. This is more so the case when they run into some problem or difficult situation in the adoption process. When things turn rough, it is human nature to doubt if we made the right decision.

God makes it very clear in the Bible that He cares for the orphans and little children. The Word of God also tells us that it is possible for us to know His will. It is God’s will that everyone should be saved (2 Pet 3:9), that we should enjoy everlasting life (John 6:39, 40), that we should be thankful (1 Thess. 5:18), and that we should be blessed through Him (1 Thess. 4:3).

Adoption can be a trying and testing process. You have to make decisions from your heart and your head. You may forget to complete an important paperwork or the birth mother may suddenly change her mind! There are many challenging situations that can crop up. Choose an adoption professional you can connect with and share a good rapport. Better yet, ask God to send you the right person to work with so that the adoption process will progress smoothly. Invite God to be a part of your adoption plans and He will help you find the child He has chosen for you.

The New King James Version., Mt 18:14 (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982).