When adoptees or birth parents decide to search for their birth family, they know that the outcome might not be a storybook ending. However, many people who begin the process of searching do not take into account less conventional and disturbing possible outcomes of their search. Before deciding to search, be sure to prepare yourself for other, less common, disturbing outcomes.

The television show 90210 explored one of these possible disturbing outcomes in last week’s episode – the scam. After Sean (played by Josh Henderson) ingratiated himself into the family as the birth son of Harry (played by Rob Estes), other family members became suspicious when Sean revealed that he needed $200,000 to pay off his adoptive father’s gambling debts. To appease his family, Harry asked Sean to undergo a paternity test just as a formality. Of course, Sean was gone the next morning.

In this case, the private investigator was the one working with the con man to bilk more money out of his client. However, scam artists can come in all shapes and sizes.