A disturbing scam preying on women desperate to conceive has been uncovered in Nigeria. Called the ‘cryptic pregnancy scam‘, it exploits cultural and social pressures faced by women unable to have children, often convincing them to believe in false pregnancies and delivering trafficked babies as their own, according to BBC.
The scheme unveiled
The BBC’s uncovering of the pregnancy scam started with an interaction with a victim, who claimed she carried her baby, for 15 months after seeking unconventional “treatment” at a”clinic”. This implausible timeline raised alarm among state officials and her husband’s family, who questioned the child’s origins.
This led to a revelation that scammers, posing as doctors or nurses, promise a “miracle fertility treatment” to women struggling with infertility. The treatments, costing hundreds of dollars, often involve injections, drinks, or substances inserted into the body. These substances sometimes cause physical changes like swollen stomachs, convincing women they are pregnant.
The victims are warned not to visit conventional doctors, as they’re told no medical test or scan could detect the baby, allegedly growing outside the womb.
When it’s time to “deliver,” women are asked to pay for an expensive and supposedly rare drug to induce labor. The delivery process often involves sedatives or hallucinogens, leaving the women with babies they believe they have birthed.
Inside the clinics
An undercover investigation by BBC Africa Eye infiltrated one such clinic in Ihiala, Anambra state, led by a scammer known to patients as “Dr. Ruth”. Operating out of a dilapidated hotel, “Dr. Ruth” conducts fake ultrasounds and celebrates supposed pregnancies with her clients. Initial treatments can cost as much as 350,000 naira ($205), with delivery drugs priced at up to 2 million naira ($1,180).
The Trafficking connection
Authorities have linked the scam to baby trafficking networks. Babies are sourced from vulnerable women, often young and pregnant, who are coerced or tricked into giving up their children. In one raid on a facility in Anambra, several pregnant women, some as young as 17, were found being held against their will. These trafficked babies are then presented to unsuspecting women as the result of their “pregnancy.”
Authorities crack down
Efforts are underway to shut down these operations. Commissioner Ify Obinabo, leading the crackdown in Anambra state, has been part of the operations of rescuing victims and exposing the scam. However, she warns that unless societal attitudes toward infertility and adoption change, such scams will persist.
