An 18‑year‑old Georgia teenager has been arrested after authorities say she defrauded her former boyfriend out of thousands of dollars by falsely claiming he was the father of a child they never had.
According to the Coweta County Sheriff’s Office, the investigation began in early December 2025 when a man reported he had been asked to provide financial support for a child his ex‑girlfriend said was theirs.
Investigators say the victim sent more than $7,000 to Brya Hardy of Newnan after she claimed he owed child support for the baby.
The victim and Hardy were in a relationship several years earlier, and authorities say Hardy provided photographs of a child she alleged was fathered by him. As the sheriff’s office dug deeper, deputies determined that the child was neither Hardy’s nor the victim’s, and that Hardy herself was not the child’s mother.
Based on those findings, investigators obtained an arrest warrant charging Hardy with theft by deception. She was taken into custody on Dec. 31, 2025.
The sheriff’s office has not released details about whether Hardy has entered a plea or secured legal representation since her arrest. The investigation is ongoing, and authorities are urging anyone with information about similar scams to contact the Coweta County Sheriff’s Office.
This case highlights the growing use of personal relationships and alleged paternity claims in financial scams.
