Today the Dr. Phil show began a two part series on “Adoption Scams.”

I admit that I had my glass of tea in hand, my sofa cushion fluffed and was ready to watch and see where exactly he was going with this one. Other recent shows (Dateline, Montel) have done a poor job of the topic and sensationalized an already misunderstood problem. I even cut a phone conversation with my mother in law short because she called in the middle of the program (she had to tell me she had just set her yard on fire, the nerve). Anyway, I wanted to be able to pay ever so close attention to what he was saying, and just as importantly, how he was saying it.

Well even thought I am still not big fan of the Phil, he actually handled this topic very well in my opinion. I expected to see a lot of him (and others) addressing the scam artist as a “birthmother”, even though she was neither pregnant or had signed over any parental rights to any children that I am aware of. I was happy to hear that he instead called her “the scam artist” or “Melissa”(her actual name),through out the program, as did the potential adoptive parents. I was also expecting him to focus on a how these potential adoptive parents had “paid good money for a baby” kind of attitude, but I truly felt that was hardly the push.

Mainly both he and those women who had been hoping to adopt were out to confront this woman because she had lied and swindled them. A scammer indeed she was, and later admitted to being herself when Dr. Phil spoke with her in a room off stage. I kind of got a tickle to see the way the three possible adopting moms loaded in a van to go to the home of Melissa to confront her about her hurtful scam. I did really feel badly for them, although I did hope they learned not to throw out the dollars to expectant mothers they might meet with out proper help (attorney, agency, doctor, social worker) to substantiate that they were doing so legally and ethically. Over all I was pleasantly surprised that things were not the train wreck I was waiting to see. I am kind of looking forward to the part 2 tomorrow.

Oh...I just could not resist the photo, the dude looks a bit constipated don't ya think?

To be continued ...