Life-Shattering Scams: Could It Happen to You?
It's a show that will have you thinking twice before ever signing on a dotted line again.
Every day there's a new headline about a scam you need to be worried about; scams targeting victims via email, social media, phone, dating sites and even door-to-door. These scammers are after your money and your trust. In this episode you'll get the information you need to keep you, your family and your bank account safe.
Today we're meeting victims who say they were not only left with empty pockets, but broken hearts as well, including a couple who allegedly spent $12,000 on an adoption that never happened, a man who was allegedly robbed of his rights as a father, and a woman who claims she unwittingly signed away the rights to their own child.
Plus, it's a home improvement story gone disastrously wrong. Anderson meets a woman on the brink of bankruptcy after having spent approximately $50,000 to fix up her house. She was told by the contractor it would be two weeks. Almost a year later, and after taking out two loans, she is forced to finish the home herself.
Sometimes they are promising services on your family home, or carrying out the most unthinkable deceptions, like taking a baby away from someone.
Have You Been Victimized by a Fraud or Scam? Share Your Story with Anderson.
Angie from AngiesList.com is sharing the information you need... so you're not the next victim of a scam.
Comments
A comment made by Anderson on the show today about adoption scams REALLY infuriated me. I am an adoptive mom in an OPEN adoption with my son's birth mom AND birth dad. To hear Anderson say that he doesn't see when it is EVER in the child's best interest to be taken from it's birth parents is ridiculous and irresponsible. My son's birth parents were 15 when he was born...how is that a better option than the loving one they chose by placing him in a home with a mom and a dad who were ready to be parents? What about those who put their children in danger? Should drug addicted parents be allowed to use and try to care for their children while impared? Impoverished and starving to protect the PARENTS rights? I really don't think so. I think that if you are going to go along with every other show and continue exploring all the horrific adoption stories out there...maybe as a well rounded reporter, you should also tell the success stories. My son is a success in the world of adoption. It is time adoption is shown in a light that is not just negative...don't you think?
A comment made by Anderson on the show today about adoption scams REALLY infuriated me. I am an adoptive mom in an OPEN adoption with my son's birth mom AND birth dad. To hear Anderson say that he doesn't see when it is EVER in the child's best interest to be taken from it's birth parents is ridiculous and irresponsible. My son's birth parents were 15 when he was born...how is that a better option than the loving one they chose by placing him in a home with a mom and a dad who were ready to be parents? What about those who put their children in danger? Should drug addicted parents be allowed to use and try to care for their children while impared? Impoverished and starving to protect the PARENTS rights? I really don't think so. I think that if you are going to go along with every other show and continue exploring all the horrific adoption stories out there...maybe as a well rounded reporter, you should also tell the success stories. My son is a success in the world of adoption. It is time adoption is shown in a light that is not just negative...don't you think?
I to have been scammed by a Gentle Dental Group. I have no insurance. After they removed my teeth the kept saying I needed more implants and refused to finish the work or give me the implants I paid for unless I paid $3000. dollars more. I already paid $8,000.00 dollars and half my teeth are missing.
I am watching this show and had to pause it to comment. I've seen Kristy on another show recently. The first thought is: what was she thinking when she signed those papers without reading them. But having said this, maybe her experiences gave her no reason to think she needed to. She loved and trusted this man and the bottom line is: he's a scammer. And scammer's are good at what they do. Furthermore, his wife participated in the scam, therefore, there would be no red flags that maybe he was cheat or scammer at least not in the obvious sense because his wife was always aware of where he a was. Regardless, of the reason she didn't read those papers before signing, this Emmitt character and his wife are criminals. And let's face it guys, it was a smart and calculated move. Much easier than say, adoption, or more affordable than the other stuff women do when they want to get pregnant. This guaranteed him rights to this child and they had to meet to criteria. The ONLY reason this criminal doesn't want this to be in the media is because it exposes them as a couple. He doesn't care about the baby. If he did he wouldn't want her to be brought up knowing that this is what he and his wife did. BTW guys he stole this idea from a movie on lifetime. I'm not usually mean spirited but, this couple deserves what ever karma they get in life.
The show today was a heartbreaker. That being said, as much as I am trying to have compassion for Kristy, I'm finding it really hard to do so. What kind of a parent blindly signs papers regarding her child WITHOUT reading the entire thing?? Didn't red flags go up for her when he gave her PERMISSION to have the baby? Or when he told her that he didn't believe the child was his? She put a man before her child when she signed those papers, and I have very little respoect for a "parent" that would do that. I'm not saying what the man did was right, but had she done the RESPONSIBLE thing as a parent, this would never have happened. "Mothers" like that make me so angry... put your children before your man!!
Anderson, Can you help Jake? (I think that is his name) As a celeb you have clout. It is HIS baby. Can you do anything?
i am currently going through just about the same thing. i have seen my 4 y.o daughter two times in a the past yr and a half. mostly due to the fact that i started dating outside my race. they have there other reasons, because you can not keep a child from her parent because of the race of the person they choose to be with. i did sign primary caregiver rights to him 6 months after the last time he allowed me to see her, because he said i could see her, but he refused until him and his girlfriend took me to court for stalking and cyber stalking the girlfriend. which i have never done. i never seen the girlfriend in my life til they took me to court for it. i still have pending stalking charges that i go back to court in july for. they have got into my daughter's head and got her calling me April and calling her dad's girlfriend mommy. it absolutly breaks my heart, but due to the situation im in, no job, no stable residence, no transportation, they will not allow me to see her. i dont have the money to take him to court for visitation or anything for that matter. all i ask of them is to give me a chance to show them, and her father will not even talk to me. i have to communicate thruogh his girlfriend. it is a very difficult situation for me. i am 24 years old, he is 30 years old, our daughter is 4. we have been seperated since she was 2 months old. he had a huge upper hand on me with support from his family, and more knowledge. i was with this man for 5 yrs. 15 to 20. he was 21 to 26. im currently starting to get my ged so i get an education in physical therapy, so i can provide a better life for me, my daughter, and my future family. i dont know what i can do. but i just wanted to comment about this issue. thank u!
I enjoy your show very much. You made a comment this morning about that you thought children should go back to thier biological parent no matter what. I know many grandparent who would highly disagree with that statement. adoption is different than take full custody of children and raising them and then having the law of the state let them go back to the mother under the same condition that they were taken away from. You should investigate how many grandparent have or had custody of grandchildren and the state has forced these grandparent to sent them back to the mother
While my heart is sad for the dad that didn't know about his child; I do not think that he has the right to take this child away from the adoptive parents. His unwillingness to allow them to be part of their child's life shows that he is very immature.
...met a man years ago for the first time we reunited online last year, felt comfortable as I know his mom, brother, cousins and felt comfortable when he told them he asked me to marry him, called my mom asked for my hand in marriage, I was very happy, planning my wedding, he moved in with my son and I, started using my address, he's in the Military, and is currently deployed. Gave me a credit card in my name, access to his bank account, so I can pay the bills until he returns, we talked all the time online, on the phones, e-mails, texting - we were so happy I thought, then he started acting different, no longer take my calls, doesn't text, I see him online in the chatrooms of the groups we joined on facebook - no communication whatsoever, I have a lot of his possessions, important documents, tools, his car, his clothes. I feel betrayed, disappointed, scammed - I called his Lt. Commander to ask them to please let me know what I should do with his possesions, as I no longer wants to be responsible for them, how do you get engaged, take care of the bills as I lost my job and looking for a new one and take advantage of people like - scam artist prey on lovely people - I have a 5 yr old son and it has affected him... all in his sleep he cries as this man was so attached to him.
I'm a single mom 58 years old and I have my 84 year old Mom with me too. Mom gave me a compliment today, she said she wished she was more like me. I will go face to face with anyone and have right here in my home. I am tough and proud of it. My daughter is 19 and I hope she has learned to watch her back as well as her Mom. It makes me ill to see people get taken. But one question I have, why do people tell contractors how much money they have to spend? My girlfriend that I grew up with does the same thing. I told her get the job description and quote, don't tell them how much your going to spend. Why would anyone do that? Or is it me? My friend has done this twice since her husband died and both times I said "why do you do that?" Oh and both times it cost what she said she had.
I think this mother should start a petition with change.org to get the rights back to her child! I'll support the petition especially after hearing his lawyer tell her not to create a media frenzy. And his wife really?! She is clearly an immoral cold hearted gullible woman as well to act like this is all ok!!!! Furious for this mother... The best interest of the child is not being met here! Give her back to her biological mother!
I WAS A VICTIM OF A APOSTLE KANYANYA WA KANYANYA, WHO IS FROM KITALE KENYA. HE IS ON EVERY SCAM GROUP ON FACEBOOK. HE IS TARGETING AMERICAN WOMEN. WITH LOVE AND MARRIAGE AND HE ALREADY MARRIED. HE BEEN DOING THIS FOR A WHILE NOW... BECAUSE HE HAD 8 FACEBOOK ACCOUNT. WE HAD 5 CLOSED HE HAD 3 NOW HE OPEN ANOTHER ONE IN MICHEL JAMES. SO WE TRYING TO WARN AMERICAN WOMEN.....
I WAS A VICTIM OF A APOSTLE KANYANYA WA KANYANYA, WHO IS FROM KITALE KENYA. HE IS ON EVERY SCAM GROUP ON FACEBOOK. HE IS TARGETING AMERICAN WOMEN. WITH LOVE AND MARRIAGE AND HE ALREADY MARRIED. HE BEEN DOING THIS FOR A WHILE NOW... BECAUSE HE HAD 8 FACEBOOK ACCOUNT. WE HAD 5 CLOSED HE HAD 3 NOW HE OPEN ANOTHER ONE IN MICHEL JAMES. SO WE TRYING TO WARN AMERICAN WOMEN.....
Whenever I watch your show, I am impressed with how kind you are.
you have real compassion for all your guests.
It's a joy to be able to tune you in daily.
I commend your parents for the values they have instilled in you.
Keep up the good work.