An Italian man from Borgo Virgilio, near Mantua, is under investigation for benefit fraud and concealing his mother’s body after allegedly dressing up as her to claim her pension.
Authorities say the 56-year-old mimicked his late mother’s hairstyle with a wig, wore makeup and jewelry, and even attempted to imitate her voice to renew her ID card at the local council office.
The scheme unraveled earlier this month when a suspicious council staff member noticed inconsistencies, prompting a police investigation. Comparing official photographs, authorities confirmed the deception and later discovered the woman’s body hidden in the man’s laundry room.
Francesco Aporti, the mayor of Borgo Virgilio, described the man’s disguise as “an old woman,” noting details such as lipstick, nail polish, old-fashioned earrings, and a dark brown bob wig. He added that the man’s voice occasionally betrayed his identity, and that his neck and hands did not match the appearance of an 85-year-old woman.
Reports indicate the man, an unemployed nurse, had been claiming thousands of euros in pension payments from his mother, who passed away in 2022, supplementing his income from her pension and three properties to reach an annual total of €53,000 (£46,500).
This is not the first case of its kind in Italy. In 2023, authorities in Verona discovered a man had kept his mother’s body at home for five years while continuing to collect her pension, and in Puglia, a son concealed his father’s body for a decade to claim benefits.
