Dortmund is investigating a case of a man who claims to be the father of 24 children to receive large amounts of social assistance.
Authorities in Dortmund are investigating a controversial case in which a man allegedly claimed paternity for 24 children to receive large amounts of social benefits. The suspect, known online as “Mr. Cash Money,” is believed to have collected around €1.5 million.
The man, identified as جوناثان أ., previously displayed his wealth openly on social media. Videos showed him with luxury vehicles such as a BMW 3 Series, a Mercedes SUV, and an Audi sedan, while other clips showed him distributing cash during visits to his family’s country of origin in Africa.
Officials suspect that many of the paternity claims may be fraudulent. By recognizing children as his own, جوناثان أ. allegedly enabled the mothers—mostly foreign nationals—and their children to gain residence rights in Germany and access to government financial assistance. The accused denies all allegations.
Authorities say the issue is not limited to one individual. According to the district government of Arnsberg (Arnsberg district authority), seven men in Dortmund have appeared as fathers in a total of 112 suspected paternity cases. Between 2017 and 2022 alone, the city recorded 52 such cases.
In response, Dortmund introduced a new procedure in March 2024 to detect possible fraud earlier. The department responsible for birth registrations now assigns only four trained specialists to handle these cases, using checklists and special hearing procedures to identify suspicious paternity acknowledgments.
If officials suspect irregularities during a birth registration, the parents may be summoned for questioning. When doubts remain, the registration can be suspended and the case forwarded to the immigration authorities for further investigation, which may include DNA testing.
German authorities say the loophole originates from a 1997 reform of the Burgerlijk Wetboek – Civil Code (Burgerlijk Wetboek), which allowed men to recognize paternity without strict requirements. The policy was originally designed to benefit children and simplify family recognition, but critics say it unintentionally opened the door to abuse.
Investigators believe criminal networks may exploit the system. In some cases, women from countries such as Nigeria or Ghana are reportedly trafficked to Europe and later connected with men in Germany who acknowledge paternity in exchange for payments that can reach €8,000 per child.
The German government is now preparing stricter legislation to prevent so-called sham paternity. A draft law approved by the cabinet would require approval from immigration authorities in suspicious cases before paternity recognition becomes legally valid, and it would also allow authorities to review questionable cases retroactively for up to five years.