Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To not help my friend- passport fraud

242 replies

Ravenblue · 11/08/2025 11:54

My friend and me are quite close. Two years ago she wanted a new baby and found a sperm donor on a website. This bloke got her pregnant but then he wanted access. She didn't want him to but the courts gave him access and now he has the kid a couple of times a month. My friend is now married and she changed her kids name to her new husbands name. The father has found out and is now going back to the courts. She also got a passport in the new name and the father nows this. The father is now going to the police as he says its passport fraud. I dont believe him as she has the right to change her childs name but it says not in the court order. Its like she cant do anything without his permission. Its not fair on her.
She wants my help in trying to get her out of this but I dont know how and also I don't think shes in the wrong.

AIBU?

OP posts:
ThatBluntTealScroller · 12/08/2025 15:22

the biological Dad is now gaining,everytime the BM wants to take her kids away.she has to get his permission in writting.Dad has every right to be fuming,she would have needed the Dads consent via signature or letter.its fraud,checks should have been made at Home office.A phonecall to all parties that have parental responsibilty.personally i feel for the Dad,after hearing his got someone pregnant he doubted just being a sperm doner he stepped up went through the correct channels i.e court and become a father. he has regular contact with the child court ordered. he has a right in these things,it takes two to tango 50/50. both gotta suck it up and make it work for the little one .

ironflan · 12/08/2025 14:57

Arlanymor · 11/08/2025 12:13

What was this website? Gumtree?! Sperm donors don't have legal rights, no parental responsibility and are not named on the birth certificate - this is in the UK when the donation takes place via a licensed clinic.

As it is, whatever route she went came without these protections and as a result the father has rights under the law and, no, she is not entitled to arbitrarily change her child's name without consultation and agreement with the father.

So I don't see how you can help her, when this situation has legal precedence. Except suggest that she seeks specific legal advice, although I don't think she has a leg to stand on.

I'm guessing by sperm donor, she means that she slept with someone to get pregnant. Not that she actually went through a clinic. Whereby, the dad then indeed does have rights??

Bluedenimdoglover · 12/08/2025 14:47

This is not your problem and you can't do anything to help, anyway.

Omgblueskys · 12/08/2025 14:36

Did you change name to new husbands name, if so new husband needs to adopt baby with fathers consent, but father then loses all rights to child, has friend gone down this road were new husband could adopt child but with fathers consent only

ChildFreeAndOhSoHappy · 12/08/2025 14:07

Clearly she didn't go the proper route when getting a sperm donor and just had a kid with someone. Now he has the same rights any parent would. If she wanted nothing more than a sperm donor she should have done it the right way. This prob won't end for her and it's her fault.

NeverDropYourMooncup · 12/08/2025 13:47

Ravenblue · 12/08/2025 12:47

For the passport. She asked me to sign it and I said no but given her level of dishonesty I'm concerned that she might have.

So when they check it, you tell the Passport people that you didn't sign it.

ETA: Of course, if you did sign it because you believed the stuff you said earlier in the thread and are now bricking it, you'd still need to be honest about signing it - tell them you did but now you've found out that the information you were given by the mother was untrue. But if you're telling the truth and you didn't sign, there's no problem for you.

JustSawJohnny · 12/08/2025 13:46

Ravenblue · 12/08/2025 12:47

For the passport. She asked me to sign it and I said no but given her level of dishonesty I'm concerned that she might have.

At the end of the day, you didn't sign it and she can't prove you did.

I'd check back on any messages on the topic, just in case.

Ravenblue · 12/08/2025 12:47

Shinyandnew1 · 12/08/2025 09:16

Im worried now that she's put my name down and faked a signature.

For what?

For the passport. She asked me to sign it and I said no but given her level of dishonesty I'm concerned that she might have.

OP posts:
IkeaJesusChrist · 12/08/2025 11:26

Your 'friend' is absolutely bat shit.

feellikeanalien · 12/08/2025 10:35

If this contains any element of reality then I feel incredibly sorry for the child.

ladyinwaiting99 · 12/08/2025 10:21

Sounds like the court gave the father parental rights. I’m familiar with similar websites and most of the men on there actually want a relationship with the child so your friend may have acted dishonestly in order to get sperm without the price tag (obviously just conjecture, I don’t know her!)

That being the case she is going to have to start to work with and build a positive relationship with this man for the sake of her child and that will mean accepting that she can’t make every decision herself and expect him to go along with it.

Shinyandnew1 · 12/08/2025 09:42

Your posts have really changed, @Ravenblue

Your first post, you say how unfair this is on your friend and how you want to help her, saying that The father is now going to the police as he says its passport fraud. I dont believe him as she has the right to change her childs name

But now you are worried your close friend has used your own details to commit a crime?

Shinyandnew1 · 12/08/2025 09:29

Why do you think it's your details that have been used?

She would need all of your passport details-passport number, expiry date, email address etc, how would she get all that?

If you think she has used your details, contact the passport office.

Ratafia · 12/08/2025 09:28

If you really want to help your friend, tell her you'll pay for an hour's legal advice, and make sure you choose a reputable solicitor who specialises in family law and child care law, preferably also with access to someone with expertise in criminal law. The best favour you can do her is to get someone to spell out to her what her legal position is.

Ratafia · 12/08/2025 09:27

Shinyandnew1 · 12/08/2025 09:16

Im worried now that she's put my name down and faked a signature.

For what?

The passport form?

NeverDropYourMooncup · 12/08/2025 09:25

Shinyandnew1 · 12/08/2025 09:16

Im worried now that she's put my name down and faked a signature.

For what?

If it's a passport application, all the OP needs to do is say she didn't sign it.

Shinyandnew1 · 12/08/2025 09:16

Im worried now that she's put my name down and faked a signature.

For what?

Ravenblue · 11/08/2025 22:34

I only found out about the car crash a few weeks ago, she was drunk and going on about how she feels betrayed by people around her. I felt really sick when I heard about it. I get that she wants to play happy familys with her husband but its gone too far. I didnt have anything to do with the passport or the name change but Im worried now that she's put my name down and faked a signature. I've had bad relationships in the passed but id never go to these lengths. Id sympathise more if he had been abusive but it just sounds like she wanted him and he didn't want her. I'm just going to steer clear.

OP posts:
Clearinguptheclutter · 11/08/2025 19:47

JHound · 11/08/2025 17:07

How could she manage to get him a passport in a different name from that on the birth certificate without change of name details?

fraudulently!

bringonthecrumpets · 11/08/2025 18:50

Sorry I haven’t read the full thread but if the father’s name is on the birth certificate she can’t change the child’s name without his consent. If his name is not on the birth certificate but he’s paying maintenance and has shared parental rights (ie his maintenance is calculated including the nights he has her) then once again she needs his consent. If she didn’t have it she needed to have lied to the deed poll company to say she doesn’t know where he is, or worse, faked his signature. In both cases she’s in the wrong and he’s right to report her unfortunately. The passport is issued on the basis of the deed poll plus oficial confirmation from school or gp that the name has changed- so in theory it’s not passport fraud but the deed poll might have been obtained illegally.

PInkyStarfish · 11/08/2025 18:26

She’s a selfish creature and you need to step away from the mess that is her own doing.

Laura95167 · 11/08/2025 17:08

So I think legally the kid with be Childsname Mumsmaidenname. If the sperm doner is on the birth certificate neither could change the name without the others consent. But you can give then a known as name for things like school

JHound · 11/08/2025 17:07

How could she manage to get him a passport in a different name from that on the birth certificate without change of name details?

Anonomoso · 11/08/2025 17:07

As said...

Move away from this friendship.
This person deliberately bought a child into this world, IMO in an appalling way via shagging someone she met off the Internet all because she wanted a new baby....a baby is a living being, this all sounds terrible.

She'll soon find another person to cling on to and continue her sad little vendetta against her DC's father.
If there's any truth in this senario he'll go back to court for, at the very least 50/50 custody.

KrisAkabusi · 11/08/2025 16:58

Fuck me! After your last updates, she doesn't deserve to have kids. She better hope that she doesn't end up in court again because with all her behaviour, if the actual father brings it up, I'd say he's quite likely to be awarded custody. Shes committed quite a lot of crimes involving the child in her two years knowing him!

Swipe left for the next trending thread