We answer the phone here at the League “Pro-Life Action League,” yet we receive a surprising number of phone calls asking how much abortions cost or whether we perform abortions. We always refer them to a crisis pregnancy center or spend some time talking about their decision and the dangers of abortion.
But a phone call today alerted us to something beyond simply “surprising”: Our phone number and address are listed on a solicitation for “The Home Abortion Kit.” [pdf]
Secret Chemicals Promised To Destroy The Fetus
A concerned woman from Minnesota called our office this morning to find out if a person could really purchase a kit for $400 (or 3 for $1,000) that, at home, would “break down the fetus into bio-waste in a mere ten minutes” which could then “be disposed of down the toilet, down the drain, or into a compost heap because it is completely safe for the environment,” even “up to the eighth month of pregnancy.”
It turns out the recipient was a pro-lifer who was very relieved to discover this was a hoax. She promised to mail us the original immediately.
Right To Life Group Receives Same Letter
The League’s address and phone number listed on the ad
At lunchtime my co-worker John Jansen took a call from the Kentucky Right to Life Association in Louisville. They had received the same disgusting advertisement. They immediately faxed us a copy [pdf] of the mailing and put the original in the mail. In the mid-afternoon we had a similar call from California.
The organization purporting to offer this kit calls itself “American Women’s Health.” But our address and phone number are listed both as the return address on the envelope and the address payments should be sent to.
The “at home abortion” offered is a blatantly illegal procedure in almost every state in the country. In Illinois, for example, only a physician can legally perform an abortion.
44 states have regulations on who may perform the procedure. (In fact, these regulations are what have led Planned Parenthood locations in Iowa to start offering tele-conference “doctor’s consultations” with abortion patients.)
Authorities Notified
The tools supposedly contained in the home abortion kit
I spoke with the Chicago Police Department about our concerns, and I have completed paperwork to notify the United States Postal Office of this mail fraud, which is being sent out today by Priority Mail. We also made a report to the FBI.
The USPS form [pdf] (not surprisingly) doesn’t have a line where you can fill in that a fake group sent an anonymous mailing in your organization’s name for an illegal and non-existent procedure. But I did the best I could.
Have You Received This Mailing?
We are trying to understand the scope of this fraud. If you or someone you know received this mailing, please send us the original immediately. We hope that by collecting enough of these letters, the USPS and police will have enough information to track down the perpetrator of this crime.
