The Ministry of Women, Social Welfare and Poverty Alleviation in Fiji is warning people looking to adopt children to go through the proper channels to avoid being extorted.
The Ministry's Permanent Secretary, Govind Sami, says there are many applications pending from people in New Zealand and Australia wanting to adopt children from Fiji.
Mr Sami says he issued the Ministry warning following a recent adoption attempt that went awry.
"It was a case of a New Zealander who had gone through the illegal adoption process and the court made a damning statement in relation to that person who was trying to get money out of the innocent family."
Mr Sami says the family almost lost thousands of dollars through extortion.
He insists that people looking to adopt Fiji children register with the Ministry of Women, Social Welfare and Poverty Allevation, which overseas legal adoption in Fiji.
