cmv: Paternity Fraud should be illegal

Paternity Fraud is: The act of knowingly misrepresenting the biological father of a child for financial or emotional gain.

Here is why I believe that it should be legitimately illegal (not just a lawsuit), and should be punishable on the federal level.

According to the US Census Bureau, around 70% of child support is payed by the father. That is a lot of child support, and that is a separate topic. The false paternity rate in the US is 5%, and it's climbing higher and higher every year. It may not seem like a lot, but that impacts 200,000 fathers a year. It is even worse knowing that it is continually increasing. That means 1 in 20 fathers are not actually the father! Imagine a woman knowing that her child isn't the child of the man who is paying all that child support. You would think she should be held accountable, and if you do think so, you're absolutely right! It is a type of fraud, and all forms of fraud should be illegal. And when men go to jail for not paying child support (which they shouldn't), and they later get out of jail and then find out that the child wasn't theirs to begin with, the mother somehow isn't liable. It's despicable! Either make Paternity Fraud illegal or lower the child support rate for men. Why should me, you, or anyone else pay for a child that is not ours? Why should the mother be let go without any consequences? Why is this allowed?

The injustice becomes even clearer when you consider the societal double standard. Imagine a situation in which a woman knowingly allows a man to believe he is the father of her child, all while benefiting from his financial support and contributions. This is, without question, a form of fraud. Fraud is defined as wrongful or criminal deception intended to result in personal gain. When a woman knowingly misrepresents the paternity of her child, she is engaging in deception for personal gain, whether financial or otherwise. In any other context, fraud is a punishable offense. For example, lying to obtain government benefits or committing financial fraud against a company can result in significant legal consequences, including fines and imprisonment. Why, then, is paternity fraud treated differently? The legal system seems to turn a blind eye, leaving these men to bear the burden of an injustice they had no control over.

The situation is further compounded by the fact that men can face severe consequences for failing to pay child support, even in cases where paternity is later disproven. Men have been jailed, their wages garnished, and their credit ruined for failing to pay support for children who were never theirs to begin with. When these men eventually discover the truth, they find themselves without recourse. The mother, who knowingly deceived them, often faces no consequences whatsoever. This lack of accountability is not only unfair but also harmful to the integrity of the legal system. It sends the message that some forms of fraud are acceptable, even when they cause profound harm to innocent individuals.

To address this issue, the legal system must take a stronger stance against paternity fraud. Women who knowingly deceive men about paternity should face legal consequences, just as they would for any other form of fraud. Additionally, there should be mandatory (or optional/recommended) paternity testing at birth to ensure that men are not falsely accused of fatherhood. This simple step could prevent countless cases of injustice, protect men from undue financial and emotional hardship, and ensure that the mothers are held accountable. Fraud is fraud, and it must be treated as such — no exceptions!