A viral story about a married couple who struggled to conceive only to discover they were twins when they went through IVF appears to be a hoax.

The story, originally from a suspected fake news website called the Mississippi Herald, claims the unnamed couple underwent the treatment to help them have a baby.

Doctors at the fertility lab noticed their DNA was abnormally similar, it was claimed, and lab technicians believed the pair may be unwitting cousins, but soon ruled that out because the DNA was too similar.

The story was picked up by a number of news websites, including the Sun, but it has since emerged it’s likely to be a hoax.

The Mississippi Herald website was only registered in November, reports the Mirror, and contains no reporter bylines, physical address or contact details beyond an online form.

Sun Online has attempted to contact the website for clarification.

Fake news can look legitimate, but the stories behind the headlines are entirely fictional.

Hundreds of fake news sites have been set up, some producing false stories to entertain and amuse – others to peddle their own agendas.

This story first appeared in The Sun.