In an astonishing scam that has left Iraq stunned, a young man successfully deceived eight women into marrying him one after another, only to divorce them shortly after and steal their savings before disappearing without a trace.
The story and photos of the fraudster were spread across social media.
His scheme targeted women from various regions of Iraq, with three victims hailing from Baghdad and the others from different parts of the country.
One of the wives, who was ranked eighth among his victims, revealed in a television interview that her husband married 7 other women.
The wife told the full story in the interview, saying that her marriage to him lasted only a few months, while some of the marriages lasted just a few weeks, while others endured for a few months.
The eighth wife, who was the last victim, confirmed in television statements that the fraudster worked in the automotive sector, where he rented luxury vehicles to convince his victims of his distinguished financial status.
The con artist’s last victim, speaking to Al Sharqiya TV, explained how he had convinced her to sell her car and withdraw her savings, amounting to 25 million Iraqi dinars and $69,000, under the pretext of buying a joint land for their future.
However, just two days after handing him the money, she received divorce papers in absentia without any justification.
The women, realising they were all duped by the same man, formed a WhatsApp group to share their experiences and seek a solution. The group grew to include all eight women as more victims reached out via social media.
The wife indicated that she and her seven colleagues were subjected to the same trick, as he proposed to all of them officially.
Each marriage was formalised with weddings held according to local traditions, with families and tribes in attendance. Despite the man disappearing soon after each ceremony, many of the women initially thought his brief disappearances were normal. It was only later that they uncovered the full extent of his deception.
The wives have since shared images and messages confirming their marriages with the man, all of which were legally registered and performed according to tribal customs.
She explained that the rest of his wives contacted her and sent her photos of them with him, in addition to conversations and records proving their marriage to him officially, not only according to tribal customs, but also documented before legal authorities.
At present, Iraqi authorities have not issued any official statement regarding how the man managed to marry eight women without detection. Investigations are ongoing.
The fraudulent husband disappeared after his eight wives found out about the matter,
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