A 56-year-old man in Borgo Virgilio, northern Italy, is under investigation for benefit fraud and hiding his mother’s body after allegedly posing as her to collect her pension.
Authorities said the man kept his mother’s body at home following her death in 2022 and claimed thousands of euros in pension payments. The case came to light earlier this month when he reportedly showed up at the local council office attempting to renew her ID while dressed as her.
Francesco Aporti, mayor of Borgo Virgilio, told Corriere della Sera: “He wore lipstick, nail polish, jewellery, and a dark brown wig. He tried to speak in a female voice, but a few masculine notes slipped out.”
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Council staff noticed unusual details, including a “neck a bit too thick” and hands that did not match an elderly woman’s, prompting authorities to investigate further. Police later discovered the mother’s body hidden in a laundry room at the man’s home.
Corriere reported that the man, an unemployed nurse, had been living off his mother’s pension and three properties, totaling roughly €53,000 (£46,500) a year.