A Greek man has been arrested for fraud after he claimed he fathered 19 children and lived off benefits since 1996, reports Reuters.

The man used photos of children he found online to forge birth certificates for his children. He then claimed benefits from the government. He quit his job as a policeman in 2001 and is thought to have claimed €150,000 ($195,000) in benefits over 15 years, though the publication says this figure may be higher.

As a police officer his salary was €12,000 ($16,000) annually.

The man was caught while he was trying to pick up a €8,000 ($11,000) benefit check. He does not have any children of his own. According to reports in the Greek press, the incident only came to light after a tax official noticed that 19 children would be a record breaking number in Greece, where the average family only has a couple of children.

Just yesterday, it was reported by Digital Journal that Greece loses €13 billion ($17 billion) a year in tax evasion, fraud and corruption.