Italian Man Impersonates Dead Mother in ‘Mrs. Doubtfire’ Pension Scam

Italy : The small northern Italian town of Borgo Virgilio has been left in shock by a bizarre and tragic case of fraud involving a son who successfully posed as his deceased mother for three years to collect her pension, a scenario that has drawn comparisons to the movie Mrs. Doubtfire.

The 56-year-old man, an unemployed former nurse, was apprehended after his scheme, which netted him nearly €53,000, was exposed when he attempted to renew his mother’s identity card.

For years, the man had been performing the elaborate deception, maintaining the illusion that his mother, Graziella Dall\’Oglio, who died three years ago, was still alive. His final performance took place at the local Registry Office.

\”He was wearing a suit with a long skirt, lipstick on his lips, nail polish on his hands, jewellery around his neck and hands, old-fashioned earrings. But that neck, upon closer inspection, was a bit too thick… and his voice, feminine yes, but occasionally a few masculine notes escaped.\”

A suspicious registry employee alerted the mayor and police, who launched an investigation that led them to realize the son had also been filing his mother’s tax returns. The final confrontation was arranged when the man was lured back to the office, dressed again as his mother, where he was arrested and confessed to the scheme.

The deception took a truly grim turn when authorities searched the home and discovered the mummified body of Graziella Dall\’Oglio, who had not been heard from in years. Her body was found wrapped in bedsheets and a sleeping bag.

Mayor Aporti reflected on the profound isolation surrounding the case. “She probably died of natural causes, but that will be established by a postmortem,” he said. “It’s a very, very sad story, certainly one of great loneliness.” The son now faces serious charges including fraud and concealing a corpse.