Surrogacy Escrow Account Management LLC, or SEAM, was owned by Dominique Side, who systematically misappropriated millions of escrow dollars. She used the funds to not only enrich herself but also to fund side businesses – a clothing line, a career in rap, and an R&B singer and producer.
Nearly two dozen families are listed in a lawsuit accusing the owner of a Houston-based surrogacy escrow company of stealing millions from their accounts — accounts intended to pay the surrogates and cover medical expenses. The stolen funds paid for Side’s “lavish trips all over the world”, luxury cars, real estate, designer clothing, and membership at the “Soho House,” a chain of private clubs, according to the court filing.
Initially, the lawsuit was filed by one family in June of 2024, but since then twenty two other families across the country (and prospective parents in France and Italy) have asked to join the lawsuit. The plaintiff’s attorney announced there are hundreds more families victimized by SEAM’s scam.
In this case, Side was named as a defendant, as well as one of her business partners, Anthony Hall, and Life Escrow, LLC, which is an escrow company created by Hall. That creation does not look good to the courts, since in March of that year he formed the company located at the same business address as SEAM. Hall claims he had no insight or access to any of the funds or process of SEAM, and that no money has been transferred to him fraudulently. He says that Life Escrow was not in fact a front for illegal activity, and was instead a passion project he began in 2023.
Each of the families deposited between $31,100 and $100,000 into a SEAM Escrow account. The trouble became apparent in early June of 2024 when intended parents learned that their money was “apparently lost”. Families were notified by Capital One Bank that their accounts were on hold due to fraudulent charges. At first, it looked like millions had simply vanished.
But then they reappeared, in bank records that shows SEAM transferring escrow funds into an operating account. $2.2 million went to launch Dominique’s rap career as “Dom”, and $5 million went to pay for a credit card that “appears to be related” to a music studio that is owned by Hall and Side, and $275,000 went to Side’s clothing line called Nikki Green.
Families are scrambling with what to do, struggling with maintaining hope of having a child alongside a financial and legal battle. Dominique Side’s location is unknown to all except her attorneys and family. Charges have not been filed, nor has an arrest been made, but an active FBI investigation is still occurring, which accuses Side of embezzling over $16 million dollars total.