An elderly couple from Austria, who have divorced and remarried 12 times over the past 43 years, are under investigation for financial fraud.
The police in Vienna are currently investigating an unusual case involving a couple who repeatedly married and divorced to exploit a loophole in the country’s law, benefiting financially from it. Over the course of 43 years, the couple separated 12 times to take advantage of this legal gap and received a significant amount of money as a result.
Each divorce was formally documented to avoid suspicion, allowing the wife to claim 27,000 euros ($28,300) under the law. The couple exploited a flaw in Austrian legislation, which entitles a divorced woman to financial compensation unless she remarries. The woman received money every two and a half years, so the couple would divorce and then remarry every three years, ensuring she would receive government compensation.
The couple’s fraudulent scheme came to light in May 2022 when the Pension Insurance Institute refused to grant the woman a pension despite the 12th divorce. Investigations revealed that the couple would divorce and then quickly remarry every three years, right when the woman was entitled to compensation from the government for her separation.
