An Italian man from Borgo Virgilio, near Mantua, is under investigation for alleged benefit fraud and concealing a body. Police say he disguised himself as his dead mother to collect her pension.
The 56-year-old allegedly continued to claim thousands of euros after his mother died in 2022. Investigators say he hid her body in his home instead of reporting the death.
The case came to light earlier this month when the man visited the local council office to renew his mother’s identity card. Staff became suspicious when he arrived dressed as an elderly woman, wearing a wig, lipstick, nail polish and jewellery.
Mayor Francesco Aporti told Corriere della Sera that the man “shuffled in dressed as an old woman” but could not fully hide his male voice. Staff also noticed his neck and hands did not match those of an 85-year-old woman.
Authorities compared his appearance with an official photo of his mother. Police later searched his home and found he had been concealing her body hidden in the laundry room, according to investigators.
Corriere reported that the man, an unemployed nurse, had an annual income of €53,000 due to his mother’s pension and three properties.
