Couple Gets Busted After Divorcing And Remarrying Each Other 12 Times Just To Scam The System

Over the course of 40 years, an Austrian couple reportedly divorced each other and remarried themselves 12 times. Investigators claim it's all been one big money-making fraud, but some may find it romantic, if not chaotic.

The couple, who are from Graz, Austria, were blissfully wedded for six years after being married in 1982. The anonymous woman's first spouse passed away in 1981; therefore, this was her second marriage.

The 73-year-old woman was given a widow's pension by the government following the death of her first spouse. However, she lost her eligibility for such funding after getting married again a year later.

To compensate for this, she did receive a €27,000 ($28,405) "severance payment" settlement. According to Newsweek, the couple's marriage 'irreparably fell down' after six years since the husband was working as a truck driver and wasn't home much.

The wife's widow's pension was reinstated again after their divorce, and you can probably see where this is headed. After the couple got back together and got married again, the woman was compensated €27,000 for losing her widow's pension.

Over the course of four decades, the couple divorced and remarried twelve times, seemingly realizing the relatively simple reward. The anonymous woman reportedly collected a staggering €326,000 ($342,971) in rewards overall.

The court declined to reinstate the 73-year-old's widow's pension after their most recent divorce in May 2022.

At this point, you can probably see where all this is going

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Well, the story didn't end there as she went ahead to file a lawsuit against the pension fund. However, early this year, when the real nature of her marriage to her 12-time husband was revealed, her complaint was rejected.

According to the Supreme Court, "the repeated marriage and subsequent divorce from the same spouse is abusive if the marriage was never broken and the divorces only took place in order to establish a claim to a widow's pension."

Since then, an inquiry into fraud has started, and a trial is anticipated to come next. Bild claims that even though the pair were divorced (again) two years back, they are still legally married in the eyes of the court.

The true nature of her marriage to her 12-time husband came to light

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One woman in the UK discovered the hard way that it is not unusual for people to use the legal process of marriage as a means of deception. After receiving letters at their home under several names, Megan Clarke, who was engaged to Lord Bertie Underwood, became suspicious.

She then learned that Robert Madejski, her future husband, was a scammer who had accrued $40,000 in credit card debt under her identity. Thankfully, Megan discovered his plans before they were married, and he was later taken into custody.

A couple that ties and unties their marital knot

Not the actual photo

This couple in Austria spent more than 40 years manipulating the system. They transformed their romance into a financial thriller in a tale that seems like it belongs in a dark comedy.

Through a deft use of pension loopholes, they were able to continually tie and untie the knot, earning almost $342,000 over the years. Tell us what you think about this move in the comments section below and share as well.