Australians hit by alleged US surrogacy scam
The Sydney Morning Herald reported over the weekend that an Australian couple are alleged to be victims of a surrogacy scam in the US- with a surrogacy agency called The Surrogacy Group going belly up, taking their money and that of other intended parents.
An investigation by Florida Attorney-General Ashley Moody’s office concluded that The Surrogacy Group and the owner of The Surrogacy Group, Gregory Ray Blosser collected approximately $US270,000 from clients for services they didn’t render. In the Australian couple’s case, they allegedly lost US$14,500. Blosser has been charged with wire fraud, and is now also the subject of civil cases seeking compensation.
The case highlights the risks of fraud with international surrogacy. I have previously blogged about Rudy Rupak, who operated a Ponzi surrogacy scheme in Mexico, called Planet Hospital, in which he trafficked Colombian would be surrogates, for good measure. I met Rudy Rupak. Although I am not an expert on such matters, Rudy gave all the impression to me of a 1970’s porn film director.
Or Allison Layton, who ripped off an Australian couple for US$40,000 in a Ponzi style scheme. She served 18 months jail. I saw what she did to the Australian couple in the report. Disgusting. Soul destroying. Grub is the only word that comes to mind.
If you are going to the US or Canada for surrogacy- buyer beware. Many Australians assume surrogacy agencies must be licensed by the government. Most of the time they’re not. Take extreme care in who you send your money to. While the vast bulk of surrogacy agencies in the US and Canada are highly reputable, there are these few examples that demonstrate the pain that this type of fraud causes to those who are desperate to have children.
