Italian Man Dressed as His Dead Mother to Collect Her Pension

Police in Borgo Virgilio, a town near Mantua in northern Italy, are investigating a bizarre case of benefit fraud and body concealment after a man allegedly posed as his deceased mother over several years to continue collecting her pension. Rather than report her death in 2022, the 56-year-old — a former nurse who was unemployed at the time — hid her body at home and pretended to be her to claim payouts from the Italian social security system.

The Pension Scam Uncovered

The scam began to unravel earlier this month when the man visited the local council office in an attempt to renew his mother’s identity card, an action required to keep receiving government benefits. The staff member was alarmed by inconsistencies in the woman’s appearance — including an unusually thick neck, unfamiliar wrinkles, and a surprisingly masculine inflection in the voice — and became suspicious. After comparing his presence with the official photo on file, the office alerted police.

Elaborate Disguise and Hidden Body

Authorities say the man went to great lengths to assume his mother’s identity. According to local reports, he dressed in women’s clothing, applied lipstick, nail polish, and makeup, wore a wig and jewellery, and even relied on mannerisms he believed matched the late woman’s appearance. Italian media and officials have dubbed the case a “Mrs Doubtfire scandal,” referencing the 1993 comedy film where a father disguises himself as a woman — albeit for very different motives.

When police searched the man’s home after the council alert, they discovered the mummified body of his 82-year-old mother hidden in a room. Reports indicate the body had been concealed for years, wrapped in sheets or stored in sleeping bags, and no death had been officially reported — meaning pension payments continued undisturbed. Italian prosecutors are investigating fraud, concealment of a corpse, substitution of identity, and falsification of official documents in connection with the case.

Scale of the Fraud

Italian press outlets, citing Corriere della Sera, reported that the man collected approximately €53,000 (around $94,000) in pension payments over the years and also benefited from income tied to three properties inherited through his mother. The elaborate disguise was enough to fool officials on more than one visit. However, it ultimately failed when his mother’s identity card expired and required in-person renewal — a legal necessity that offered the first real opportunity for detection.

Mayor Francesco Aporti of Borgo Virgilio described how the man was spotted walking with a hunched stride and a walking stick, and even then, irregularities in his appearance prompted the council clerk to question the woman’s identity. “[His] wrinkles were strange, his hands didn’t match what we expected, and at times his voice slipped,” the mayor said.

Similar Italian Cases and Broader Issues

This is not the first time in Italy that someone was caught hiding a parent’s body to collect pension benefits: other incidents reported in recent years show a pattern of pension-related fraud leading to similar investigations. Some commentators point to systemic vulnerabilities in benefit systems that rely on periodic in-person checks. In contrast, others focus on individual deception and the unusual lengths one person took to avoid reporting a death.

Police continue to investigate the case as authorities work to determine the full extent of the fraud and any additional offences tied to the man’s actions. His identity has not been released publicly as the probe remains ongoing.

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