Italian Man Conceals Mother's Death and Impersonates Her to Fraudulently Claim Pension Benefits

The man's (right) mother (left) passed away in 2022.

A 56-year-old northern Italian man allegedly disguised himself as his deceased mother to continue collecting her pension worth thousands of euros annually.

Following his mother's death in 2022, the resident of Borgo Virgilio near Mantua concealed her body at home instead of reporting her passing, allowing him to continue withdrawing her pension payments.

When her identification card expired earlier this month, he reportedly applied makeup, wore a wig and women's clothing to impersonate her at the local municipal office. A suspicious staff member alerted authorities about the unusual situation.

Police compared photographs of the actual woman with the impersonator and subsequently discovered the mother's remains hidden in the laundry room of his residence.

Francesco Aporti, Mayor of Borgo Virgilio, described how the man entered the council office dressed as an elderly woman, wearing "lipstick, nail polish, jewelry, and old-fashioned earrings, with a dark brown wig."

Though the man attempted to mimic a feminine voice, the mayor noted that "occasionally a few masculine notes slipped out." A council employee observed inconsistencies in his appearance, including an unusually thick neck, strange-looking wrinkles, and hands that didn't match those of an 85-year-old woman.

According to reports, the unemployed nurse was earning approximately $61,000 (about Rs 50 lakh) annually by combining his mother's pension with income from three properties. Officials compared his disguise technique to that used in the film "Mrs. Doubtfire," where Robin Williams' character masquerades as a woman.

"She probably died of natural causes, but that will be established by the postmortem. It is a very strange story and very, very sad," the mayor stated.

The man faces multiple charges including concealment of a corpse, fraud against the state, forgery of official documents, and identity theft.

Additional allegations suggest he used a syringe to remove bodily fluids from his mother's remains to prevent decomposition. An autopsy has been ordered to determine her cause of death, and the man remains incarcerated while prosecutors await the results.