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Fake birth blogger is reminder that not everyone online is truthful

Fake birth blogger is reminder that not everyone online is truthful

The story of a woman who blogged about the pregnancy and birth of her terminally ill baby, later for it to be discovered that the whole story was a fabrication, broke last week in the Chicago Tribune.

A naturally emotive subject, it attracted a huge number of visitors who sent messages and gifts to the woman who identified herself as either “B” or “April’s Mom”.

Her blog was linked to by high-profile parenting blogs and, apparently, advertisers were also looking at getting involved on the site.

The baby was actually a lifelike doll, which immediately raised the suspicion of loyal blog-followers.

“I have that exact doll in my house,” said Elizabeth Russell, a dollmaker from Buffalo who had been following the blog. “As soon as I saw that picture, I knew it was a scam.”

Exposed Beccah Beushausen (more proof that anonymous blogging is near-impossible) said that she’s really “sorry because people were so emotionally involved” but that she did really lose a child soon after birth in 2005 and the blog was meant to help her deal with her loss.

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The vigilante attitude prevalent on the web meant that public outcry was inevitable when Beushausen was exposed, though it’s likely that – in the law’s eyes at least – she did nothing wrong.

Perhaps it would have been more prudent, if she was really doing it to help deal with the emotions of a previous loss, to do so in private.

It serves as a stark reminder, which many of us need from time to time, that not everything on the Internet is fact. It’s easy to become emotionally attached to the stories of individuals online. Sometimes they really are just stories.

View Comments (3)
  • I think that people with fake identity should be punished.By creating a false impression in other’s mind they are fooling out people.

  • I am Beccah’s uncle, and thought I needed to respond to this article. Actually, I’m making my rounds on any and all blogs that I can find in order to set the record straight about my niece, and to see if I can stop these scams from continuing.

    I attended Olivet University when Beccah was in her Senior year, Although I am OLDER than Beccah….I just decided to attend college at a later age!

    The comments about forgiveness are very appropriate, and I obviously believe in forgiveness…for myself and for others. But I think we have to go beyond forgiveness in regards to Beccah. She is not this “hurting” woman that your article purports her to be. The is/was not her “first rodeo” in regards to scamming people. Let me be more specific…

    About 2 years ago I was contacted by a couple that was searching for Beccah. This couple told me that they were going to be adopting Beccah’s unborn baby. Well, that was news to ME and the rest of the family, since we didn’t even realize she was pregnant! I called my brother Dean (Beccahs father), and he told me that none of it was true, and that is was just some people playing a strange prank. I accepted what my brother said, and never pursued it.

    Well, I have since found out that it was NOT a prank on the part of this couple. They really were going to adopt a baby from Beccah, or at least this is what THEY thought. I won’t go into anymore detail at this time about this, but needless to say, it was a scam that Beccah was pulling off on these innocent people.

    On a personal note… about 2 years ago, or less, I was scammed out of over $8,000 by Beccahs father. I won’t yet go into great detail about this, but I will state that Dean stated that the money went to Beccah. I have no idea, but I would guess that Beccah must have played a role. This scam hit me hard, and I still have not fully recovered from it.

    There are many other things that I can go into, but I choose not to…yet.

    Forgiveness is one thing, but allowing a person like this to slide by, and move forward with scam after scam, is simply not prudent. And, in all honesty, it is our DUTY to see that these scams do not continue.

    So, for all those that feel some kind of “pity” or feel sorry for Beccah…Please don’t. And I say this as her uncle. If this were the FIRST time she had ever done something like this, then I would be the first to go to her side and try to comfort her and get her help. But this is just the latest in a long line of scams she has attempted. And I, as her uncle, feel a duty to put an END to it all by letting people know.

    Derwin Beushausen
    [email protected]

  • NEWS…

    I have just been THREATENED by the brother of Beccah Beushausen, and a POLICE REPORT has been filed.

    I am Beccahs uncle, Derwin Beushausen, and I just received this threatening email from Jonathan Beushausen (Beccahs brother)…

    “hey im not sending u this 2 threaten u in anyway, i jst want u 2 know tho if u speak ill-will about my sister again or my dad over internet or anywhere else i am going to personally deal with you myself .idk if u know too much about me uncle derwin but ive never really cared about the actions i have taken through my life & never worry about consequences that is me and thats how ive always been…”

    That is the entire email, and it is definitely a threat. I guess it is obvious that they are not happy about me coming out with the truth that I know, and they are especially upset that I have posted to THIS blog, as well as others.

    I have contacted the Chicago Tribune with the information about this threat, and I am hoping that ALL OF YOU who read this will SPREAD THE WORD about this threat. I am asking this so that all will know.

    I called the Elwood Police Deptartment (where I live), and reported this threat to them. I just finished speaking with the officer, and he said the police report will be logged in immediately, and that I can obtain a copy of it on Monday morning. When I obtain a copy, I will post it to the internet for public consumption.

    The police report number is 09-06-1564 and the officer who filed it is Officer Paul Sedlacek of the Elwood Police Dept.

    I do NOT succumb to threats.

    Derwin Beushausen
    [email protected]

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