Is the popular social media contest for 'Baby of the Year' a scam or real? What you need to know

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A popular baby contest has been making the rounds on social media and now there is some confusion over whether it's legit or a scam.

The contest is called "Baby of the Year." It's a charity fundraiser presented by actress Jessica Alba looking for America's most adorable baby.

The winner is promised an ad campaign in Good Housekeeping, as well as a $25,000 cash prize.

"Registration to compete is free and this competition is not just about you and your baby, it's about giving back to families in need," Alba says in promotional video.

Moms on social media are responding, uploading pictures of their babies and asking friends and family members to vote, all to win the coveted title and more.

"You and your baby could appear in Good Housekeeping and take home $25,000 in cash," Alba says.

But some on social media are urging parents to take their photos down, claiming the contest is unfair since votes are paid for and cautioning that parents are giving up rights to their baby's photos.

Some parents even allege the contest is a scam, warning of suspicious charges to their credit card after paying for votes and even alleging the contest is a possible sex trafficking ploy.

So, the Action News Troubleshooters did some digging.

"Baby2Baby is so close to my heart and that's why I'm teaming up with Colossal to launch a competition that will raise millions of dollars." says Alba.

It turns out, the contest is being run through Colossal and while Good Housekeeping is not a sponsor, it tells us "The winner will appear in an advertisement" in the magazine.

You can cast one free vote a day or pay to vote more. For every dollar you donate to Baby2Baby, you get one additional vote.

"In the last thirteen years, Baby2Baby has distributed over $450 million essential items," says Alba.

Baby2Baby is a legitimate four-star nonprofit, according to Charity Navigator. The charity has a score of 96% for accountability and finance as well as culture and community. And Jessica Alba is listed as one of its board members.

There is a ton of fine print in the contest rules. One of which does say that parents are giving Colossal license to use the photos and entry information submitted.

And one note of caution, any time you post photos or videos of your children online. You do risk the possibility of scammers and identity thieves taking and using their images for their own purposes.

Certainly it's best not to share things like their birthdate or what school they go to. The less information you put out there, the better.