Tips for Registry Owners
and Adoptees

If you are a registry owner or an adoptee, it is suggested that you would have to consider a POSSIBLE black market adoption if one of the following conditions occur in your research:

A) The adopted parents mentioned a large sum of money changing hands

B) The adopted parents refused to disclose any details about the adoption. This could be a sign that they are hiding something which could be a black market adoption.

C) The adoptee was born in a private clinic

D) In cases of a black market adoption in which the adopted parents managed to get the adoption legalized in court, the non-identifying information turns out to be falsified

E) The original birth certificate has been falsified in some way like listing the adopted parents as the birthparents, etc.

F) A name comes up in connection with the adoption where one of the parties has been known to sell babies such as Cole, Springer, Hicks, or one of the many other groups/attys. who are known to have participated in this type of activity.

G) The usual records either don't exist, or have been grossly altered

These tips have been provided by M. Haviland and P. Bohannon who deals with black market adoptions.

Advice to the Registrants and Registry Owners
for their Protection


1.) Using a blind email box for your protection.

2.) Keep a notebook or pad with all URL's of registries.

3.) Give as much information as you have, even if thought to be insignificant.

4.) Keep one piece of information back, for confirmation purposes if a match should be found. Also for protection of registrant against stalkers.

5.) Think about the information you wish to put out on the internet, and make it the same information you place at each registry.

6.) Do NOT put your entire name, phone numbers, snail mail addresses on a guestbook type registry. Employ the use of the blind email box.

7.) Read and understand the process each registry owner employs placing information online. Such as: Auto-forms versus the CGI form.

8.) Know the reputation of the registry.

9.) If the prospective registrant should not be familar with the registry in question, ask those of the SOAR affiliation of their reputation.

If you choose to use your email address on message boards or other online registries, please be careful of anyone who emails you privately and solicits their services. There are many unscrupulous searchers out there that charge you outrageous sums of money for lots of big promises with no results. Always have them checked out before using their services.

If your email account is through AOL, you'll want to be sure that your mail program is set up/configured to allow you to receive mail from those whose accounts are not with AOL.

It is a good idea to use a web-based email server when using signing guestbooks, and talking on public bulletin boards or on email lists where there is very little monitoring of the activities of the list or guestbook. The one main problem with that is that these people do not seem to be able to take no for an answer. Another reason to use a web-based email program is that these services usually have an easy policy and place where you can report that you have been spammed or hassled by someone. This caution is not necessary on some mailing lists, like AIML, as they are moderated and have very specific rules for participating.

There are many web-based email servers out there and it depends on your preferences as to which web-based provider that you would wish to use. Some of these type of services are

HotMail
Mail City
Email.com
Netscape.com

These are only a few of the services and only you can determine which would be best for you.

These tips have been provided by D. Wilkey and Beth Leve

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