Paternity Testing and Paternity Fraud

There are support groups offering advice for men and children who have been victims of paternity fraud. Paternity fraud is a big issue and for the families involved it can be devastating. Paternity testing is one way of resolving disputed issues and helping victims of paternity fraud regain their lives.

What is Paternity Fraud?

Paternity fraud is where a man is deceived, scammed or hustled by a mother into believing he is the biological father of her child. The support groups against paternity fraud cite the figure of 30% of cases where paternity testing proves that the wrong man has been identified as a father. If a man acknowledges paternity, he is responsible for paying for the child’s upkeep until adulthood. Some pressure groups against paternity fraud fear that some women could be purposely trapping well-off men, claiming they are the father of their child even if they aren’t.

Paternity Testing & Paternity Fraud – The Worst Case Scenario

The worse case scenario of paternity fraud can involve a man paying for a child who isn’t his own, and continuing to pay while the mother has in the meantime re-married or moved on with another partner. Paternity testing is one way of avoiding the issue of being entrapped or duped unfairly by unscrupulous women. If paternity DNA testing reveals that the man in question is not the father but he has already emotionally committed to the child and financially supported it for a number of years it can cause devastating emotional fallout. In the worst case scenario it can even wreck the man’s life, financially and emotionally – they may feel unable to move on in a relationship or to create more responsibility in their life.

How Can Paternity Testing Help?

It is, in general, assumed that if a couple is married, the husband accepts paternity. However, this isn’t always the reality. It’s advised that paternity testing takes place before the father’s name is put on the birth certificate and before he legally accepts responsibility, if he is in any doubt.