Update: The Chicago Tribune has picked up on the whole April's Mom blog scam, and now I feel more sorry for Beccah Beaushausen, who said she really did lose a baby boy shortly after he was born in 2005 -- and I feel bad I was so quick to pull out the "terrible thing to fall into the hands of the Lord" Bible quote in the original piece below. Then again, I wasn't one of the folks following the fake April Rose blog for months -- and praying and likely sending gifts and such. I just hope Beccah ends up healed and okay.
I'd never heard of April Rose or read the blog dedicated to the baby until I started seeing people searching for April Rose fake and April Rose hoax and April Rose scam today.Now, I've read tons of blogs that are talking about the April Rose saga. Basically, a woman people are calling Beccah Rose Beushausen allegedly created a blog, reeling people in with a story of how she was expecting "April Rose" -- a child whom she wrote was afflicted with serious medical issues.
People prayed, offered help, updated the dark photos of April Rose that were posted on the blog, now widely believed to be one of those life-like dolls.
The April Rose blog has been deleted, but you can still read the posts by clicking on the "cached" link below these posts still on Google.
Was the April Rose scam done for money?
Maybe. I don't know. Probably. The more comments I get, the more I'm thinking that yes, it was done for money. Curiously, the cached pages of the April Rose hoax blog show no Google Adsense ads, at least from what I've seen so far -- but they do show BlogHer ads (whom I'm sure had no idea of the April Rose scam) as well as ads from a couple of other sites that I don't see affiliate programs for:
One of the cached pages on the April Rose blog says she wasn't taking money, but led readers to a link where they could donate money to various places -- I didn't research where those places were, or if they went to a PayPal account or something. (People have updated info below in the comments with more info about PASS donations for April Rose.)The April Rose website probably received donations and gifts by P.O. box mail:
One of my readers also just commented that the fake April Rose blog probably took donations thru a P.O. box, and I went back and pulled this screen pic of the cached fake April Rose blog that indeed shows where people could email the "mother" and get her address to send cards or letters -- no doubt knowing people would stick a 20 dollar bill in there:
The April Rose Scam Played on the Sympathy of Christians...but Believers are Praying for Forgiveness and His Will Wednesdays
The April Rose blog author wrote about God a lot, and posturing herself as a young, single woman. Perhaps she knew of the Lord's edict to give to the poor or those in need, and thought that not asking for money outright as she spilled her detailed-yet-kinda-purple-prose-ish story online would naturally garner empathy and donations.
Any believers who gave to the plight of April Rose, don't feel bad -- you did it out of the kindness of your heart to help, and God will honor that I believe.
The cool thing is that one blog author at Wind Beneath My Wings wants to continue the His Will Wednesdays -- see her post here:
Wind Beneath My Wings: His Will Wednesday Continued: (Making Light of the Dark)
I love that, making light out of the dark.
But woe (and whoa!) to those who dare steal in the name of Jesus Christ and think they've gotten over. I'd say repent quickly, because as that Bible verse goes, "It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God." Hebrews 10:31
April Rose Blog is Not the First Online Scam
We've seen scams before online, like the "couple" who threatened to abort their baby if they didn't get a certain amount of money. I believe that guy was found and arrested.
Then there was one "girl" who claimed to have a certain amount of time to live before she killed herself. I think that one was a scam. (Of course, there was that real case where that young black man killed himself in actuality on Justin.TV, so we can't assume everyone is scamming.)
But for April Rose -- follow the money trail. Was money involved? If so, this might be one for the FBI Internet Crime people.
If no money was involved, the April Rose scam might spell a person behind it who created a story or drama for deep-seated emotional issues.
Either way, the mastermind behind the April Rose hoax needs a whole lotta Jesus right now. For real.
Comments
I sort of wanted to post questioning the situation but I chose not to- because she had SO many followers and comments.
I am sad to see this *was* in fact a scam.. I was sad that is where my head went straight away upon finding her blog..
Recently I have been reading blogs of families really going through hell- loosing children- spouses, sick even terminal children and blogging has become a sort of solace for some..I supp;ose it was inevitable for someone to jump on the situation- see the kind hearts of the blogging community and try to reap the benefits for themselves.
Once this child was seemingly *born* the details posted made me doubt the situation even more.. I home birthed my children and I honestly couldn't see some of *items* posted being true..
I wanted to be wrong.
I am sorry for those who were hurt by this- I could see many people were throwing their whole hearts into this child's life.
She commented on receiving "gifts" several times.. I do not doubt for a moment she received money.
Funny thing is, if you Google "InHISTightGrip" exactly as I've spelled it, you'll notice that every single one of the search results show this poster -- Beccah or "B" -- commenting about how nice the blog is and then "suggesting" that the blog owner and readers "check out" the Little April Rose blogspot as "this young woman needs your prayers," or, my personal favorite, on Jennifer Mckinney's blog (Mckwhatever), that she wishes Stellan could give this woman's baby some of his extra heartbeats since he has extra and she needs more.
This Ms. Beushausen is a very articulate and seasoned scam artist. At the very tender age of 26, she has managed to make quite a name for herself that could very well and most likely will, land her full identity and the crimes she's committed in the national press and most definitely the local Chicago press. Fortunately for me and unfortunately for her, I work in Public Relations and have a nice Rolodex containing names of people soon-to-be her worst nightmare. I'll be pitching this story until I'm blue in the face, but this crime is despicable.
Most likely Beccah will create another pseudoname to create another blog and another compelling story with compelling ads and compelling financial returns.
While I do follow Angie Smith's blog, hers is the only one I will continue to read from a distance. MckWhatever rose to stardom and fame by the riding the coattails of Angie Smith, and I believe Raechel and Ryan are indeed knee deep in complicity. Either that or they aren't very discerning folks and easily scammed. Who could befriend someone, take over editing rights for their blog in all good conscience WITHOUT NEVER HAVING MET THEM. Ryan refers to "B" as Raechel's friend -- a friend knows when their friend is pregnant or just playing house with plastic baby dolls! I am appauled that Angie Smith would not say more about the depth of that relationship or her involvement. MckWhatever doesn't surprise me at all as she's been making money off her children since Day One. Angie has class and appears to be a true God-honoring woman who loves the Lord. But I'd be lying if I didn't say I was shocked by her lack of candor on the topic.
I don't know who told these women -- Angie Smith, MckWhatever Jennifer Mckinney -- they were celebrities and as such, could issue a so-called Press Release and have it carry any weight. But as someone who issues them quite frequently for IRL clients who pay IRL money for IRL PR counsel, it was a bit arrogant the way they approached the topic.
Arrogant, indeed.
Just remember, InHisTightGrip is a scam artist. Her name is Rebeccah Rose Beushausen. And she is sick. BEWARE!
Here's what she shared with me about Beccah AKA "B", the woman who plays with plastic baby dolls. The facts, if you will:
- There is/was NO BABY.
- There is/was NO PREGNANCY.
- Five years ago, Beccah suffered something very traumatic, of which she would not detail and most certainly did not use as an excuse for her vile behavior, but traumatic nonetheless. As a result of this tragic event, Beccah is very sick. She either is or should be (according to Lori) in treatment over this event.
- Lori is not familiar with the blogging world and how it works, therefore, does not seem to understand the magnitude as we all do at the present time, but she does desire to get to the bottom of this.
When I spoke with her last night, I told her about the hundreds if not thousands of praying women and men around the globe, and how the last update we all received detailed how April's heart rate was decreasing rapidly only to leave everyone hanging. Once people caught on, she quickly took down everything associated with her and her sick scheme. Only problem is a little called "Cache." Once on the Internet, ALWAYS on the Internet!
I begged her to do what was right and get Beccah help as this kind of scheme was so intricate in detail, so well thought out, that this could lead to something even bigger down the road I felt.
http://www.livingithtrisomy13.org
A couple thoughts after reading your entry.
Her blog name is MckMama...
You are the one sounding arrogant.
(not MckMama or Angie). They felt the need to address the situation because they had "promoted" April Roses' need for prayer all along.
Their readership would not have appreciated a "no comment" approach.
Raechel knew Beccah in the past but hadn't seen her for years.
Apparently Beccah contacted Rachael for help.
I hope this clears some things up. But...you'll have to work on your arrogance.
Susie
Please ignore most of what "SheWrites" had to say. She has some of the facts right. Her need to bash Jennifer Mckinney is sick and shows that she might be a little unstable herself!
Stick to the facts of the case SheWrites and leave your "feelings" about other bloggers out of it.
God Bless.
How quickly her follwers forget that she had donation buttons on her blog for Stellen, right next to pictures of her granite countertops, lakeside home and her chilren's designer clothes. Something to think about before you "follow" someone you truly know nothing about. Better to stick to worshiping Him directly. For the record I don't hate McKMama and I don't think SheWrites does either, I don't quite see the amazing connection she brings her readers to God.
I agree that Angie seems genuine and the jury is still out on the others. I'll leave it to God to decide. I love MckMama's post today with the button for most inspiring blog. Gotta get all those new readers from the Trib article, hugh? I think I'll pass.
Move on just move on.
Instead of lifting each other up and praying for one another we bash each other.
Gossiping is a sin ladies. Instead of trash talking these women (their designer kid's clothes, granite counter tops and lakeside homes) pray for them.
We should be a united front. Instead we are doing Satan's dirty work for him.
I do have to say I believe in God. That doesn't mean I believe that every blogger who claims to believe in Him is an honest person. There are some bloggers who will exploit their family "in Jesus name". Just as there are some who will make up pretend babies and ask us to pray for them. Praying doesn't make you perfect.
She needs prayer, she also needs to be turned over to the law. Let them deal with her, if indeed their was fraud involved.
Keep EVERYONE in your prayers. God will sort this out, and through him the LAW.
This is what Ms. Beccah or however you spell her name wants turmoil. Don't give it to her. Don't we all have enough worries? Jobs, kids, life?
Just PRAY.
I truly hope I didn't offend anyone as that wasn't my intention.
God Bless you all.
Tami
I have to laugh at the comment(s) regarding Mckmama - love them. So very true. She may be a lot of things, but she ain't someone hurting for money. Asking those to donate to poor baby Stellan's medical fund & then post free giveaway after giveaway & not to mention, a cruise! She is holier than thou.
Just because someone speaks the truth does not mean someone is "bashing" another. The truth is the truth.
For the record--MckMama was the one that called herself a celebrity. Would she like to be a celebrity? I am sure she would. Would she use Stellan or any of her other children to accomplish that? Most certainly.
Her hospital behavior was offensive, indeed---mentioning it would take hours to open Stellan's gifts, taking money for backrubs, hotel rooms, or just straight cash from advertisers on her site.
Her blog is about honoring her; God seems to be thrown in for a few sermons when it suits her. If you want to find someone who follows God, check out Angie Smith.
No paypal link, no requests for gifts, just a woman loving the Lord.
The dictionary is so handy.
You can twist it anyway that you want to but truth is truth.
This focus of this story should have remained on Beccah but the Mckmama haters saw an opportunity to bash her and oh my they certainly have.
I'm not a MckMama follower and have no desire to "have her back" but the crap that some of the Mckmama haters spout is just gross. Jealousy isn't pretty ladies.
Montana ... really?? Thats so so wrong and really kind of funny. Being a good Christian is giving to whomever God tells you to.
I visited the sites that are mentioned here and I can see where people are a bit done with McKinney. Ironically, I live in the Cities (still had never heard of her) and a friend of mine, who is organizing a trip for us happens to be a travel agent at the firm organizing her Cruise had mentioned that a famous blogger is receiving credits for those that come, which in my opinion is completely fine, but why no mention of that any where on the blog? If that qualifies as gossip, well then bless me, Father, for I have sinned.
I don't think much of MckMama & no longer follow her blog. Not interested in fake people. That said, & without stating all the reasons why, I certainly am not jealous.
You see, I'm not one bit jealous that I don't teach my tiny children the words "urinate & bowel movements & penis". I am not one bit jealous that her choice of clothing is hideous & non-attractive. I'm not one bit jealous that she feeds her children all healthy crap, while she publically advertises she laps it up at Chipotle. Which, by the way, is beginning to show.
So, you see, being honest about someone who announces all personal information to the world does not mean one is jealous.
And by the way, did any of you see the apology written by Beccah? Can be found on her blog. :)
Jennifer Mckinney is in CRISIS MODE again. Seems her son Stellan's SVT is back with a vengeance. As someone who has been treated for this condition for 10 years, I know for a fact that little ones are almost always given a pacemaker. But my question is ... why stick with the meds even though you know they're going to fail? More dramatic maybe? More soap-opera-ish? Any decent pediatric heart center would implant a pacemaker and send that child on his way. Why all the hype? Why always dragging this out? NEWBORNS get pacemakers for God's sake.
I'll tell you why. More drama.
Beccah's victims have now pulled away from Jennifer's blog and now she's seeing a steep drop-off. Must do something to drive traffic. Try not using your son as a vehicle next time, MckSLOB. That's called Munhausen by Proxy.
Her ego just must be taking a hit these days. Otherwise, there'd be no need for attention. She had a boost last week with all the celebrity interviews, and now she appears to be in withdraw. So sad.
A reporter from the Chicago Tribune called me about a week and a half ago asking me about Beccah. Well, I told him about the story 2 years ago when a couple called me wanting to know where Beccah was. They were the couple that said they were expecting to adopt Beccahs yet unborn baby.
Well, I came to find out that Beccah was not even pregnant, and it was indeed all a scam. I called my brother Dean (Beccahs father) to ask him what was going on, and he denied everything, and said that the people that contacted me were simply pulling some kind of prank on Beccah! I guess we can all see now WHO it was pulling the prank!
This entire thing is really unfortunate. I pray that Beccah gets psychological help as soon as possible. If she don't, I'm afraid she will go on scamming people.
By the way, Beccah contacted me today, and tole me to STOP posting about her. She stated that I was "spreading falsehoods" about her. She also went on to again claim how much of a victim she is and how much she is hurting.
Well, I was actually offended by what she said to me. In no way whatsoever have I ever "spread falsehoods" about her. I simply stated what I know, and what her father (Dean) has told me in the past.
If Beccah were a 15 year old little girl, I would be more willing to let this all pass, and I'm sure a lot of other people MAY have a little bit of sympathy for a confused little girl. But Beccah is NOT a 15 year old little girl. She is a 26 year old adult woman who should know better. She also claims to be a "Christian" that loves the Lord. Well, this being the case, her actions become even more reprehensible and inexcusable.
Instead of trying to play a hurt "victim", Beccah should have simply come out with the truth, took her bumps and bruises, and then vanished from the internet altogether. That would have been best FOR HER. But, as we all know, she should have never launched the scam to begin with.
I quoted Beccah the scripture today: "Those that sow to the wind, will reap the whirlwind". She sowed a great deal of pain in many peoples lives, and now she is simply reaping what she has sown....tenfold. It's unfortunate, but she is simply going to have to buckle-up and move forward with her life.
I tried to explain to her that the "pain" that SHE is "suffering" at this time is really IRRELEVANT, but it seems she is simply not able to comprehend that fact.
At any rate, I hope Dean and Rose obtain psychological help for her.
IF ANYBODY HAS BECCAH'S BLOG IN IT'S ENTIRETY FROM BEGINNING TO END, I AM VERY INTERESTED IN OBTAINING IT. You can contact me at the email below. Thanks.
Derwin Beushausen
dbeushausen@gmail.com
If you want to read Beccah's blog in its entirety, go to this link on Google and click on the "cached" link beneath each posting listed and you'll have just about all of it. Make sure to perform the search with duplicates included -- Google gives you that link toward the end of the search results.
And then print out the pages and/or copy and paste the text because those pages will eventually fall out of Google and be inaccessible. Unless someone else has already saved all the text somewhere.
If you want her blog, you've gotta do this ASAP because those pages will disappear soon.
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 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
dbeushausen@gmail.com
A fun blog for those tired of MckMama and her misleading ways. Derwin, sorry to hear about the situation you are in for speaking the truth. Best of luck as you move forward.