Last month, Francesco Aporti, mayor of Borgo Virgilio, shared the story of an unusual event that played out in his municipal council chamber. A 56-year-old man, who allegedly disguised himself as his deceased mother, attempted to renew her ID card in a bid to claim thousands of euros in pension payments. That rare incident — which has received widespread attention — occurred in the northern Italian region around Mantova.
Aporti explained the man’s very convincing disguise in an interview with Corriere della Sera. The subject painted his face, put on earrings and necklaces, and went so far as to recreate his mom’s hairdo with a wig. To avoid detection, he dressed as a senior female citizen when he went to the metro’s local council office. His objective was to get the final paperwork done for his deceased mom’s VA pension.
“He wore lipstick, nail polish, jewellery and old-fashioned earrings, and had a dark brown bob of hair,” – Francesco Aporti
The man’s actions are unfortunately just a piece of a larger trend of area pension fraud, and in fact, pension fraud across North America. After his mother died in 2022, he allegedly kept her corpse at home. He continued to receive her pension checks. Local reports revealed that he was living on an annual income of around €53,000 (£46,500) drawn from her town pension, and their home décor consisted of three mansions.
This incident is not isolated. Earlier this year, authorities in Verona discovered a man who had kept his mother’s corpse at home for five years while collecting her pension. Moreover, yet another case from Puglia came to light, when a son kept his father’s corpse for ten years. Combined, these cases have painted a concerning picture of how far people are willing to go to obtain lucrative payouts.
The 56-year-old from Borgo Virgilio is now under investigation for benefits fraud and concealment of a body. Aporti noted that while the man attempted to project an elderly appearance convincingly, “occasionally a few masculine notes slipped out,” revealing his true identity.
While these investigations are ongoing, law enforcement officials are reminding the public to be on the lookout for similar scams. Local media has been mesmerized by the weirdness of this case. It serves as a vivid reminder of the ways in which social welfare systems can be exploited.