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Woman who scammed thousands of hopeful parents looking to adopt is sentenced to 20 months in prison

Now 30, Gabryele Watson was sentenced Friday to 20 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to stalking, identity theft, and threats of kidnapping and murder in a multi-year adoption scam.
Over seven years, Watson ran the scam against thousands of couples on Instagram, posing as pregnant teenagers and sending pictures of her "baby bump" before relationships devolved into threats of murder.
Justice Department official Tysen Duva said Watson "cruelly led on couples seeking to adopt a baby, only to later emotionally abuse them," while prosecutors noted she admitted her "habit" was terrorizing adoptive couples.
Three years before her arrest, Watson was confronted about her scam on Phil, where her father said she suffered from "severe mental problems" since her mother died in 2012.
Beyond her criminal activity, prosecutors say Watson recorded FaceTime interviews with Netflix producers about her scam, while The FBI is still seeking victims of the adoption fraud.

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