Child support is a critical financial obligation intended to ensure children receive necessary support from both parents. However, some individuals go to astonishing—and often despicable—lengths to avoid this responsibility. One of the most shocking cases of evasion recently came to light in Russia, involving a man who executed an elaborate, year-long scheme: changing his entire identity annually just to dodge his payments.
This incredible story was revealed by Roman Korenev, the head of the bailiff service responsible for collecting child support payments in Tyumen, Russia. Korenev shared the details of this bizarre case during an interview with the Russian media outlet 72.RU.
The Futile Scheme of the Serial Name-Changer
According to the official account, a local man in Tyumen decided the best way to evade his financial responsibility was to repeatedly change his identity. This wasn’t a minor tweak; the man would completely change his last name, first name, and patronymic once every year.
The strategy was straightforward yet audacious: the unnamed man hoped that by constantly altering his legal identity, he could evade the bailiffs and effectively “zero out” his accumulating debt. After a year had passed with his new name, he would return to his previous name and restart the entire process, repeating the cycle of identity shifting.
While it remains unclear exactly how long this identity-swapping effort lasted, Korenev confirmed that the man’s extreme attempts to avoid his legal duties ultimately turned out to be completely futile.
Why the Name Change Tactic Failed
The failure of this complex scheme rests on the robust system in place to track legal identity changes. Roman Korenev clarified that debtors cannot simply escape child support liability by altering their name.
“When a person’s name changes, the registry office reports this information to the bailiffs, so the debtor can’t avoid paying child support this way,” Korenev explained.
In essence, the moment the debtor formalized his new identity through the registry office, that new information was relayed to the enforcement agencies, ensuring the debt followed him regardless of the moniker he chose to adopt. Changing names proved to be an administrative inconvenience for the state, not an effective escape route for the debtor.
A Region Known for Ridiculous Evasion Tactics
The extreme measures taken by this father are not isolated incidents in Tyumen. Tyumen bailiffs have reported to reporters that local residents frequently resort to “ridiculous tricks” in their attempts to avoid paying their debts.
The lengths some debtors go to can be quite dramatic. Compared to this extreme name-changing effort, the sources mention other fathers engaging in equally low attempts to avoid their duties, such as faking their own death or faking a DNA test to avoid financially supporting their child.
Another specific example highlighted by the bailiffs involved a man attempting to stop a foreclosure action. In an attempt to prevent bailiffs from entering his home, this man claimed to suffer from agoraphobia. Agoraphobia is a type of anxiety disorder characterized by fear of places and situations that might cause panic, helplessness, or embarrassment. However, the man’s claim was proven to be untrue; the debtor actually owned two apartments, one of which was subsequently subjected to foreclosure.
These cases highlight the extraordinary efforts some people make to escape financial responsibilities, only to find that official systems and record-keeping mechanisms are designed to prevent such evasions. Much like trying to hide a large ship by constantly repainting its hull; regardless of the color or name, the ship’s coordinates and ownership remain tracked by the harbor authorities.
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