Safety, Privacy, and Security
Safety
How do I know which family or individual to choose?
The placing of your embryos will be one of the most important decisions of your life. It is not a decision that anyone should enter lightly or without much thought and research. Take time to research and consider all potential families without moving too far, too fast, or by choosing the first option that presents itself.
How do I know if a situation is “Too good to be true?”
If it sounds too good to be true, it could me. Donating and adopting embryos can be an emotionally charged experience for all that are involved. Beware of the person that appears to be answering all your questions the way you want them to, or someone who oversimplifies the process. If things begin to move too fast, too easily, or you begin to feel wary of the situation, you should consult an Artificial Reproductive professional for advice. If something does not sound or feel right to
you – trust your instincts.
How familiar should I be with the legalities of embryo adoption?
You don’t need to be a lawyer, but you should be aware that embryo donation laws vary from state to state, province to province, and country to country. Researching the basic law of your state will help you to communicate with your embryo donation professional or waiting family. The more educated you are, the more prepared you will be to recognize early signs of fraudulent behavior.
Those who have been through the process, whether donating or receiving embryos, have a wealth of knowledge and experience to share. Support groups can be found locally in your community, and on the Internet, and many have shared their experiences in stories and articles.
What is fraud?
Fraud is generally presumed to mean any form of intentional misrepresentation or illegal act; portraying an inaccurate description of themselves or purposefully misleading another party in order to gain their trust.
What are the warning signs of fraud?
Procrastination. If another party shows hesitation or procrastination about giving you information or delays conducting requested steps, it could be a major warning sign.
Requesting Information. Any requests for identifying information or personal information concerning your identity, bank accounts, location, school or job should be a major warning sign. Do not give the information and cease contact if you feel uncomfortable.
Promises of Financial Assistance. The law dictates that embryos cannot be purchased or sold, and no financial and/or material gain is allowed. If you are a donor and a waiting family offers to pay you “under the table” you should cease the relationship immediately. Likewise, if you are a waiting family and a donor asks you for money or material objects as “payment” for their embryos, cease the relationship immediately. This is illegal!
Online Clues. Google the family’s name, email, Instant Messaging name, or any other contact information to see what information is available online for them. If you feel awkward, jus realize that they are probably doing the same on you.
Scam Support. There are many online support groups that share information about adoption scams. We highly recommend joining a support group and reporting any suspicious information or questionable conduct.
Privacy and Security
How do users communicate securely?
To protect your privacy, always send messages through nrfa.org. We do not recommend sending messages to personal email addresses or sharing your email address.
Our service allows you to receive and reply to messages from other users without revealing your personal email address. Messages are sent and received from an nrfa.org email address assigned to your account. When you create your NRFA account we will send you a confirmation email to verify your email address. It is important that you verify your email address to avoid future messages from other users going to your spam folder.
If you think the contents of any message are inappropriate in any way—whether it is spam, a scam, or suggestive—we’d like to know. Notify our Customer Support team immediately.
Is my account secure?
We operate with state-of-the-art security features. For a more detailed look into our privacy policy please click here.
Do you share my information?
We will never share your information with anyone. For a more detailed look into our privacy policy please click here.
How do you use my information?
We use your personal information for the sole purpose of providing you with the best service we can. We will never share your personal information. For a more detailed look into our privacy policy.
What precautions does NRFA take to help maintain a safe community?
Our dedicated Customer Support team reviews profiles for suspicious or inappropriate content and investigates job posts, profiles and messages that are flagged by our members as objectionable. While we view these as important initial seps, they are only preliminary checks and do not catch everything; the best safety precautions are the ones you take.
Other Help Topics
Embryo Adoption
Billing and Subscriptions
Profile Tips
Account Management