Because DDC is a highly-accredited and trusted paternity-testing lab, we handle large numbers of customer questions every week via phone call, email, and social media. We sometimes get inquiries about the possibility of paternity fraud, especially when a news story on the subject pops up. Here are the top three questions we get asked, along with their answers.
1. Paternity Fraud: What if the mother submits her own DNA and says it’s the father’s? Does that affect results?
ANSWER: No.
In order to manipulate results in the hope of getting a “positive” conclusion on a paternity test, a mother may try to submit her own DNA and pass it off as the alleged father’s. If this type of paternity fraud is attempted, it is caught immediately at the lab level and results will not be issued. For all paternity tests, our lab includes the amelogenin gene in order to verify the gender of all participants, including the alleged father, child, and the mother (if she also opts to participate). Additionally, if the mother participates as herself in the test, but also submits her own samples as the alleged father’s, the two profiles would be identical. The DNA profiles for two separate people can never be the same unless they are identical twins, so the lab would immediately suspend testing and request new samples.
LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW TO UNDERSTAND PATERNITY TEST RESULTS >
2. Paternity Fraud: What if the alleged father switches his samples with someone else’s? Does that affect results?
ANSWER: Yes.
When doing an at-home test, a possible father may commit paternity fraud by swabbing someone else’s cheeks and submitting that man’s DNA as if it were his own. This can definitely affect results, since the integrity of the samples has been compromised. If the possible father actually is the biological father of the child being tested, the report would nevertheless show a 0% probability of paternity since it was not his DNA that was tested. Keep in mind that a mother could also swab someone else and try to pass off the sample as her child’s, and that’s also fraud.
This is why DDC does not put names of participants on at-home tests and also why results of at-home testing are not court-admissible—the participants’ identities (and therefore the identity of their DNA) cannot be absolutely verified.
What you can do to prevent this type of fraud: We always give two recommendations.
- If you cannot trust a participant to be honest, insist on being in the same room when doing DNA collection and watch each other swab cheeks and seal those swabs in the kit envelopes. Then, go together to the post office to mail them. Being each other’s witnesses can definitely mitigate the possibility of fraud while giving everyone greater peace of mind.
- If you live in different towns or states and witnessing each other is not possible, it’s best to err on the safe side and pay a little extra for a legal paternity test collection. With this type of test, all participants go to an approved facility to have their DNA collected—wherever they live. The approved DNA collector verified IDs, takes photos of all participants, witnesses DNA collection, and ensures samples are sent to the lab without having been tampered with.
3. Paternity Fraud: Can someone alter their DNA by eating or drinking before swabbing their cheeks?
ANSWER: No.
A person attempting to commit paternity fraud may eat or drink something prior to swabbing, with the hope of affecting results. Kit instructions advise to not eat, drink, or smoke for one hour prior to swabbing cheeks for testing. It’s not because the DNA could “change” by putting something in the mouth, but rather, because the quality of the sample could be affected. DNA cannot be changed by eating or drinking, but a swab contaminated with baby formula or food residue may be too difficult to extract DNA from. If this happens, testing is suspended and no report is issued until the customer can submit new samples. It’s an inconvenience for the customer since it requires extra testing time, but it doesn’t affect results at all.
Final Thoughts about Paternity Fraud
Since 1993, DDC has been providing trusted and accurate paternity testing services—for both peace-of-mind customers and those who need answers for court. We run every test twice, and you can be sure results are accurate for the samples we’ve been provided. We do everything we can on our end to stop paternity fraud dead in its tracks, and encourage customers to do their due diligence as well. It’s the wise and cautious thing to do!
Call us at 800-929-0847: We’re here to help.
Do you have questions or comments about this topic? Share in the comments and we’ll answer.
So I did a paternity test with my daughter and then man who we thought was her father, though we knew it was a possibility he wasn’t. Before she was born, but when she was born we were convinced that she was his and didn’t do a paternity test. Because I had really big trust issues (we had split up years before) with him, we did the test together. My daughter and him did the swans in front of me. Left and right cheeks. I felt like he did the same side once and challenged him. Anyway, we got the results and it was negative, which I was shocked at as she really looked like him.
Is there any chance he could have taped someone else’s dna sample (eg: saliva) to the inside of his cheek, and then took the sample from there, specifically? Is this possible? I just need to know in my head before I go forward to ask another two people. So yes, I’ve said it out loud 😁. Please don’t just dismiss it? Would it be possible? Thank you for your help with this x
Hi, Jen. Are you saying you did a prenatal paternity test before your daughter was born and then another one after she was born? If the alleged father had put someone else’s saliva in his mouth prior to swabbing, there’s an outside chance it could also have been picked up along with his DNA. In the unlikely event this happened, the lab would have found two separate DNA samples on the swab and would not have issued results.
Hi, sorry that was an edit mistake. What I meant to say was that we knew she might not be his before she was born! We didn’t do a paternity test before. Would he have been able to have done cheek swabs from someone else and placed it somewhere in his mouth to swab? And is it correct you only pick up dna on cheeks swabs and not saliva. Thankyou for your support with this. I’ve had this going round in my head for the last year x
Jen, swabbing always picks up a little saliva along with the cheek cells. As I mentioned, if he somehow could have put someone else’s DNA in his mouth prior to swabbing, the lab would have detected two people’s profiles on the swabs and asked for a recollection without issuing results.
I posted the complete test kit (Dad/Mom/Child) back to the lab. Got results back and all good but now I’m thinking what if someone tampered with the kit in between me posting it and it arriving at lab, and by tampering I mean using the father’s swab on themselves also therefore now could THAT second males dna get picked up on the swab instead
Apologies for the convoluted question
Hi, Tom. From what you said, it appears you maintained chain of custody of your swabs right through until posting, so you can be sure the results you were given are for the samples you submitted. There is no reason to believe a postal worker would purposefully open sample envelopes and tinker with swabs.
if mother is supose to do testing in same place and leave the country and send buccal example from baby from other country but send hers to when is supose to send only baby sample and with out supervision off domestics relation that can be a fraud?
Hello, Ivan. I don’t have enough information to answer that question. Sorry!
Hello my ex boyfriend wants to own my 3 year old daughter,I know he is not the father,she doesn’t look anything like him, a dna test was done with him and her..it came back 99.98 that he is her father..
I believe something along is wrong firstly the dna lab ask for photos of both if them which we were unable to obtain that day,so they go ahead with out the photos,the collector swabs both of them 2 times,and refuses to seal the envelope in front of me because he said the airport opens it back to check, it took 3 weeks 3 days,where I had to call to find out if the results is there and I couldn’t obtain the results only him,they didn’t even want to gave me a copy…can the results be change to suit my ex if the collector who is the head for the lab gets paid off
Hi, Leona. Without any knowledge or access to this case, it’s impossible for me to comment. I suggest you contact the lab where the test was performed directly and ask questions.
What if my child’s father try to send someone else in the lab with his identification to take his test will he be caught immediately
Hi, Reese. The answer is that in most cases yes. The DNA collector is responsible for checking IDs and then also takes a photograph of the people who show up for testing.
If two people (possible fathers) were to use the same swab and submit it, would you be able to tell that it contains two strands of DNA and report it as contaminated? or would it only detect the actual fathers dna?
The lab would detect two separate profiles, yes, and suspend testing while new samples are requested.
I’m in the process of getting a paternity test with my daughters father and I’ve been hearing things that I’m not quite sure is true. Is it possible that he could commit paternity fraud by putting the sperm of another man in his mouth before taking the test? I want to make sure that the paternity test can detect that.
Hi, Jalissa. The lab would detect two separate men’s profiles in this case and suspend testing until new samples could be obtained.
My child’s father is denying his son child maintenance are arranging a dna test how can I be sure he will not get someone else to do the test
Hi, Natasha. For legal tests, photos are required for all participants to ensure the correct parties are being tested.
My child’s father sent someone in to do the test for him. how can i have the test retaken?
Contact the lab that conducted the test for you, Taylor.
Have photos always been taken? I believe a test from the late 80’s was fraudulent.
If you believe a test was fraudulent, is it possible for participants to test again? That would be the thing to do.
Can a mother bring in a different child to do a DNA test? How does one prove a child is the right child if both parents aren’t able to be there at the same time to prove that the child being tested is the correct child?
Hi, Catherine. For a legal test, photos are taken of all test participants at the time of testing.
My daughter is now 29 yrs old with an 8 year old little boy. She grew up without her father. She met her father her senior year of high school. They really clicked. She spent the summer with him and his wife
They all got along great. Well a few years go by and they got divorced and he remarried. My daughter and grandson went to visit them about 3 years ago and his new wife handed my daughter a swab and the envelope. She swabed her cheek and put it in the envelope and sealed it with her email on it for the results . She didn’t see her dad swab. She left the next day. Rite after she got home she got an email from her dad’s wife, a picture of her computer that showed the DNA results sent to her email saying he wasn’t the father. My daughter never received an email and her father didn’t either. I know he is her father. It takes an evil person to manipulate DNA results. Can I file charges against her?
Hi, Kerry. That is a question best answered by a family-law attorney. But keep in mind they did an at-home test and those results are not court-admissible since DNA collection hasn’t been witnessed by an approved third party.