A South Carolina woman was arrested for scamming folks out of money and sperm. Jessica O'Donnell told prospective parents that her husband was killed in Iraq, and that she wanted to help people by being a surrogate mother. Couples all over the country sent her thousands of dollars. She even had people send sperm packed in coolers along with the money, we assume to make the whole thing more convincing. The authorities found fake I.D.s and computers and coolers in O'Donnell's home. Of course O'Donnell carried a baby for no one.
So where was her dead soldier husband? Actually alive and well and completely in on the scam. He's been arrested and charged too. This kind of scheme is extra evil because it preys on really hopeful and anxious folks, many of whom want a baby very desperately and have been trying for years to have one. It's hard enough to get to the place where you realize you will need a surrogate, and to place your trust someone and have them turn out to be a crook...Bleaugh. Evil evil evil.
