Paternity fraud occurs when a mother names a man to be the biological father of a child, when she knows or suspects that he is not the biological father.

None of the states require a mother who files a claim for child support to advise the court or child-support agencies when another man (other than the one they named) could potentially be the father.  As a result, thousands of men are paying child support for children who may not be their own, and thousands of children are being denied a relationship with their biological fathers and extended families. 

This deception has come to be known in legal circles as “paternity fraud.” Paternity Fraud is also called “Child Identity Fraud” by some.

There are 3 primary victims in cases of paternity fraud: the child, the biological father, and the male falsely identified by the mother to be the child’s father.  Paternal and maternal relatives are also victims.