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Adoption Scam…

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ANKENY, Iowa —A woman who police said scammed potential adoptive parents in 2011 faces similar charges once again.

Ankeny police arrested Tracy Leann Bess-Thacker on theft charges Friday after police said she accepted $200 from a prospective adoptive couple from DeWitt, Iowa, in February.

According to police, Bess had searched the Internet and signed onto adoption websites in order to lure couples interested in adopting her unborn baby.

Detectives said Bess filed a “Birth Mother Information Request” with LifeLong Adoptions, which works to connect birth mothers with interested adoptive parents.

According to police, Bess was not pregnant but used information from an earlier pregnancy, including hospital photographs and a sonogram, to fool potential adoptive parents into supporting her both materially and psychologically in return for the promise of prioritizing them as the adoptive parents.

In July 2014, Ankeny police received information from a Utah couple who discovered Tracy Bess working the same type of scam over the internet. The Utah couple researched Bess and discovered information about her earlier arrest in 2011 and notified police. There were no applicable laws with which to charge Bess at that time.

Ankeny police said Bess did the same thing in 2011, when she used 19 different aliases to connect with prospective adoptive parents in multiple states, including Nebraska, Illinois, Hawaii, Iowa and Kansas.

She was charged with filing a false report and perjury and pleaded guilty to both crimes on August 22, 2011.

Police said during the 2011 investigation, detectives learned that many of the victims traveled to Iowa to visit with Bess and discuss the possibilities of adoption. Many victims were devastated to learn that the entire event was a hoax leaving them emotionally shattered, according to police.

The Ankeny Police Department is asking for assistance from anyone in the process of adoption, including adoption agencies, to forward this information and photograph of Bess to prevent further victimization.

“Tracy Bess is an Internet predator who intentionally inflicts mental anguish and emotional distress on adoptive parents. This is a strong example of an Internet bullying case that has not been considered in the law,” said Ankeny Police Chief Gary Mikulec.

If you believe you have been victimized by Tracy Leann Bess or Tracy Leann Bess-Thacker, please contact Detective Dan Vallejo at the Ankeny Police Department at 515-289-5240.


Filed under: Adoption, Awareness Tagged: Adoption, adoptive parents, bullying, emotional, internet bullying, mental anguish, scam

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