A BBC Africa Eye investigation has discovered a shocking scam in Anambra State, Nigeria, where illegal clinics take advantage of women who are willing to become mothers. These scammers pretend to be doctors and trick women by promising "miracle fertility treatments" in exchange for hundreds of dollars. The women are led to believe they are pregnant, but the scam involves false pregnancies and the trafficking of babies.

Nigeria, a country with one of the highest birth rates in the world, puts a lot of pressure on women to have children. Women who are unable to conceive often face stigma, abuse, or social exclusion. Because of this pressure, many women feel desperate and may turn to risky or desperate measures in their efforts to become mothers.

A woman named Chioma claimed to have "carried" the child for about 15 months. BBC Africa Eye, under a year-long operation, discovered that these fraudulent practices where scammers pretending to be doctors trick women into paying for fake fertility treatments.These treatments, which often include strange injections or mixtures, cause the women’s bellies to swell, making them look pregnant. However, this swelling is not a real pregnancy, and it gives the women false hope that they are expecting a child, while they are being deceived by the scammers.

It was reported that some women felt changes in their bodies like swollen stomachs which made them believe that they were pregnant. They were told not to visit real doctors or hospitals because the scammers claimed that no scan or pregnancy test would detect the "baby." They say the baby is growing outside the womb, which is not true, but it’s part of the scam to prevent the women from seeking proper medical help.

When it’s time for the women to "give birth," they are told that labour will only start if they take a "rare and expensive drug," which costs more money. The scammers then sedate the women, and when they wake up, they have a mark on their body that looks like a Caesarean incision. In some cases, the women are given an injection that makes them feel drowsy and confused, making them believe they’ve just given birth, even though nothing has happened.

In Ihiala, Anambra State, a woman named  "Dr. Ruth" runs a fake fertility clinic in a run-down hotel. For 350,000 naira ($205), she tricks women into believing they will become mothers, with no real medical proof. The scam uses "cryptic pregnancy", a rare condition to fool women. Scammers also spread myths about miracle pregnancies on Facebook, targeting vulnerable women worldwide, from Nigeria to the U.S.

In February 2024, Anambra State health authorities raided a facility and exposed the disturbing truth behind these operations. They found women, some as young as 17, being held against their will and forced to give up their newborns.