All of us in the Abortion Pill Rescue Network strive to serve each caller with dignity, honesty and respect. Often our experienced nurses on APR hotline notice trends before clinics and medical practices do because the volume of our calls is higher. We want to share what we are seeing to help you, as you may notice the same.
This past month, a number of women contacted us with very similar stories which caused us to take notice. When that happens, it may be a coincidence or something a bit more devious.
Because each ended their communication with us in a seemingly scripted way, we suspect these callers may be media hoping to gain information. One of the benefits of being in the Network is that our experienced team recognizes these trends and can typically filter those that do not have an authentic need before they are ever connected with you.
If you receive a direct call to your clinic or practice and are unsure if the caller is authentic, here is some information that might be helpful.
Most Common Types of Fake Clients
- Reporters – For example, mainstream news organizations, larger blogging platforms (National Abortion Federation blog, Abortion Rights, Carefem, etc) as well as independent bloggers and podcasters
- Organizational Plants – For example, Open Democracy, Center for Reproductive Rights, Reproductive Freedom of All (formerly NARAL), Planned Parenthood, Freedom Socialist Party, National Abortion Federation
- Time Wasters – Some social media groups have been known to organize to make legitimate sounding calls and chats in order to tie up resources for extensive timeframes as a form of protest against our work
Why Do They Bother?
For some reporters, who are abortion activists, they may see this as a way of helping the cause.
For some bloggers, it can mean a blow-up in website visits, since abortion and reversal are controversial topics. For example, if they can get a link from a pro‐choice website such as Jezebel.com, it can mean between 7,000 and 14,000 views of their work. This also translates to a financial gain for them.
Some are bored and enjoy harassing those they disagree with. Some are angry at those who they feel are against them, especially if they have an abortion as part of their past. Some have read untrue things about abortion pill reversal and feel they are helping women in need by tying up valuable resources.
How would we know?
Some fake clients appear very real, and some real clients can seem quite fake. Creating a checklist of things to watch for can be helpful as you navigate assistance for women in the most complicated of situations.
The key is to treat every client as if they are a legitimate client because they very well may be. Each is unique and deserves honesty and respect.
However, the typical APR caller is eager for help and wants to connect with the medical help she needs to continue her pregnancy. Typically, an authentic caller does not want to waste time because she understands the life of her child is at risk.
If you have a number of red flags, you can be more alert to avoid time being wasted.
Fake callers might:
- Ask questions outside of the norm, particularly about controversial subjects and spend significant time speaking about those or asking for more information on those topics.
- Speak obviously from a script or several callers in a row with same script.
- Use words or phrases that are outside of the norm for a typical caller.
- Propose unlikely scenarios, especially involving something that was recently in the news.
- Encourage you to say or do something that would be immoral or illegal.
What actions can we take to avoid time-wasting fake callers?
- Be sure all staff is trained well about what abortion pill reversal is and what help is available through your clinic or practice.
- Ensure that only medical professionals assuming care for the client offers medical advice.
- Include a clear statement on the consent regarding what help she is requesting such as “I certify that I am seeking information for personal use only, and I agree not to use any information received for any commercial, publication, or research purpose.”
- Have a clear statement on your intake and consent that states that you do not consent to being videotaped or recorded.
- Always provide honest answers. If you do not know, say so and then try to seek the answers she needs.
Please remember as you strive to serve, this is not a time for fear. Anyone who calls for help should be treated with high value and provided accurate information. Above all, we honor the caller’s choices as they navigate the most challenging moments of their lives.
We are here for you. If you have additional questions, please contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
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