An American woman has been given a two-year jail sentence for falsely promising babies to families in a false adoption scheme.

She convinced vulnerable couples that she knew of babies that would be available for adoption and, for a fee of $900, would put the two parties in touch.

Wendy Evans, 36, even produced leaflets and other printed material in addition to using nine different aliases.

Evans, who has a three-year-old daughter, was arrested in June and later pleaded guilty.