Faking Pregnancy for Money

[Fern]

On the news this morning was an account of a middle-aged couple who faked the wife’s pregnancy…with sextuplets! For months they enjoyed an incoming flood of gifts and aid from well-meaing neighbors and residents of this tight-knit community. That is, until they were caught and arrested for fraud.

Why did they do it? They said they were having trouble paying their bills. The wife said, “We didn’t mean to hurt anybody.”

What do you think? Could financial hardship ever drive you to deceive and take from others? Do you think there’s a difference between taking from individuals and taking from a government agency such as the IRS or welfare agencies?

Pretty pathetic, don’t you think?

[kashi]

I read about that yesterday! Completely unbelievable!

[eisor]

I guess I'm just a strong believer in the idea of working hard to earn a living. I'm only 19 years old, but I've been working for 4 years. I'm going to college debt free. I live at home, but I pay for all my own clothes, almost all my own food, my car insurance, any car repairs, etc. I personally, wouldn't take money from others or from the government.

[Thrifty Ray]

It is disturbing that someone would stoop to this level to make life easier for themselves...the saddest part is that stories such as this one make folks less likely to give next time....and next time might be someone who really needs the help.

[PRICEPLUS]

Sometimes you just wonder what people are thinking. Then you come to your sneses and realize you can't even write fiction to match reality!

[Ima saver]

I didn't know anything about welfare or food stamps, but I realize now that when my father died, my family was eligible for those things because we had no income for several years. My mother would have starved before she would have taken anything!

[CJsoccerchic]

I think that it LOW... It's just sad...

[NoWayNovember]

Those people were from my city! They showed them on the news this morning delivering an apology, but it doesn't do any good, IMO.

Stealing from others is wrong. A lot of people who give to causes like that do so out of the kindness of their hearts, not because they happen to have extra money lying around... so their financial hardship is no reason to deceive others.

It is very sad.

[Snoopy2645]

I am the same way I would rather starve than take from others I would never even borrow from others I would have felt too guilty thier was also a time in my life I could have taken a easy road & went on welfare & all of that when I had dd at 18 & her dad was no where to be found but I got a job I remember at the hospital someone asked me when I got out my plans I said I would look for a job that week they laughed & at me well I did it & I got several but I took the best one with a future in it. MY daughters father is the one who ended up on foodstamps never me & my daughter & I am very proud today for that.

[SuzeOFan]

Stealing is stealing no matter how you do it or how desperate you are.
Not to mention stupid!


Here's one of my favorite Dadisms:

"For every problem, there is an infinite number of solutions."

Unfortunately, the solution they chose wasn't one of them.

[BCHGRL]

I think it is low, but I think it happens more frequently than you'd expect. For example, how many people get married KNOWING that it is not going to stay married. I've bought more than one wedding present for friends who were determined to get married no matter what. Now they are divorced with children.

The pregnancy thing was just plain stupid. At some point, it will be known whether a pregnancy is real or it is not. You can't fake having children.

[lrjohnson]

As I work in the Public Assistance fieled, I'd caution anyone to think twice before they think welfare is an easy road. In California, a Parent and Child would get in most cases a maximum of $555. And the Parent would be required, in most cases, to meet certain work requirements. Most states it's a lot lower. I agree that the welfare system is not perfect, I agree that there are folks who abuse the system, and I am a believer in personal responsibility. But I don't believe it'd be easy to get by on $555 plus food stamps. Oh, and if a person found a free place to stay, like with their parents? The grant would be reduced, as the $555 is mostly intended to go to housing expenses.

I've been broke enough to be eligible for assistance and haven't applied. But now that I've worked in the field, I have a lot more compassion.

[Tree0164]

In Mass we had a teacher fake cancer.

A former Massachusetts special education teacher has admitted faking cancer and collecting more than $30,000 in donations.

Heather Faria was working at a high school in southeastern Massachusetts. She told colleagues in 2003 that she had stomach cancer and couldn't afford to pay for both expensive medical treatments and food. Parents, teachers and other members of the school community raised $30,000 in donations.

Faria pleaded guilty to six charges Wednesday, including five counts of larceny over $250 and one count of gross fraud. She resigned her teaching position last year.

Sad all around. I would never do it and it just shows that many do not have morals.

[Snoopy2645]

Ok since you work in the field I have a queston the $555 say a month is intended to cover housing expenses ok most people I have came across that were getting help lived in low income & only payed around $12 for an apt & around $20 a month for electric so they do get alot of that stuff reduced right? They also get daycare paid for & school paid for & the drs visits on titile 19 so nothing out of pocket thier either so what is the $555 a month for?

I guess I just get sick of seeing people who are on it taking thier kids to chuckie cheeses every weekend & every event that comes to town & really buying it up. My friend is on it we have gotten to be really close & I just wonder sometimes it sounds like she pays for nothing she even gets clothing donated so she just blows the money on her kids I wish I could afford all the stuff she does guess it makes me mad too cause at 18 I worked ft & went to school & raised my daughter while her dad was nowhere to be found!! BTW I would rather see these people spend the money on the kids like she does rather than beer & cigs like alot of other people on it do & she would never do that but still it makes me wonder ya know

NOt at all saying I think its easy either cause I am sure its not but who has it harder the working class or the people on state aid? We also pay for private preschool if we were low income she could go to the school for headstart I dont think thats fair either all children should have the rights to the same education right?

[lrjohnson]

Snoop: a lot of people are eligible for low cost subsidized housing, true. In our area, it's a long, long waiting list-many many months. I've never seen anything as low as $12, but again, I'm in California, and our prices are pretty high all around for everything. If you are on aid a long time, you find over time the benefits available to you. However if you are using it as a safety net for a few months to get you through a rough patch while you actively seek to get back on your feet again (after layoff, divorce, illness, etc.) it doesn't look easy. It's sad that it's easier to be on aid a long time than on aid a short time.

I don't know if I would say overall who has it harder, the working class or those on aid. If it's just a question of getting benefits, then the people on aid have it easier. But there is a lot of sadness in some of these homes: kids in foster care, alcoholism, long term untreated mental illness, low levels of education, and an attitude of defeat. And we see the children in these families grow up to be the parents of kids on aid. (I'm taking about the families that are on aid for a long time, as in over a year. Many, in fact most, use it for a short time.) As we know from this board, some working class families with quite low incomes have very fulfilled lives. Myself, just the idea of having to tell a welfare worker all my life details is just wrong. Certainly personal responsibility would go a long way, but the lives aren't easy.

When I say I have compassion, it doesn't mean that I approve of the lifestyle decisions. It just means that I see that their choices have provided them with not as much stability and contentment as I'd like all families to have.

[abowers]

I'm curious to know what they were planning on doing when it came time to "have" the babies -- were they going to let everyone know they were lying or were they going to pretend the babies died? If it's a close-knit community I'm sure word would get out that they weren't going to the doctor on a regular basis, especially with multiple babies.

[cicy33]

I think that the couple deserved what they got. that was horrible.
I also felt the urge to respond to the other posts. I personally have been on public aid in my life. When I was 18 my baby was about 1 month old and her dad and I split. I had no one, no education, no drivers license, etc. When I was 19 I finally found a job that I could afford to pay the babysitter and still make enough to take care of her. In Arkansas back then (20 yrs ago) aid was 157 a month cash and usually about the same food stamps. that was with no income! I was on aid off and on until she was 5. I went to school, got a drivers license and slowly worked myself until I no longer needed it. There are bad people no matter where you look. It is so easy to say that all people on aid buy beer and cigs and drugs, but I didn't buy any of that stuff. still don't. It is a hard life and it sucks. Aid is there to assist not to get rich. I also know people that pay their bills with drug money and yet no one seems to worry about them cuz they aren't on aid. My point is that while there are lots of people that abuse the system there are so many more that just need some help. And are really trying to get out of the trap. When I was 22 I was working at mcdonalds part time and on aid. my child was 5. I found a job at a local plant nursery paying pretty good and full time. I called my case worker and she told me: but if you take this job you will lose your benefits! I told her that was the point. Now, I did keep the medical card for my daughter for a long time cuz that is according to income. Now they call it kid care here. I felt that proper medical care was more important than my pride. so try to realize that there are always going to be people that abuse the system one way or another and not all people on aid are druggies or bad parents. some of us were just trying to get to a better life.

[Bluezy]

Originally Posted by Fern

On the news this morning was an account of a middle-aged couple who faked the wife’s pregnancy…with sextuplets!

Uhhh.....I was 42, therefore a "middle aged" first time mum so I ask, how can one possibly fake a pregnancy? Walk about their town dressed in maternity clothing? I guarantee that once you enter into the delivery room, there, "ain't no way to fake that performance!"

Sounds as if this couple live in a town of generous and naive people. What a shame to take advantage of those kind towns people!!!

[Snoopy2645]

Well unsure how anyone could fake sextuplets!! You would have to be huge maybe they told everyone she was so huge she had to stay in bed I think they usually do after like the 3rd month with that many anyways.

But heres a funny story with my last dd I was accused of faking with all 3 I never really showed but with my last no one even could tell I was pg!!! I remember dhs best friend though accusing me of faking it, he didnt accuse me after though when he seen me holding her!! The dr did ask me if I ate ok I did I ate constantly!! And I am not a big person either about 100 pounds so you think you could tell but you couldnt at all. In fact most people didnt even know I was having her. And she weighed over 7 pounds so no little baby but she was my smallest.

[veronak]

I actually know some one who told a guy she was pregnant to get money but no matter what it is wrong. This couple should be a shame of themselves I actually saw this on the news the other day and was really disgusted can I can't believe it