Man Dresses as His Dead Mother in Mrs. Doubtfire-Style Scheme to Collect $60,000 Pension, 3 Years After Her Death

An Italian man is under investigation after allegedly disguising himself as his late mother in order to keep claiming her pension.

The 56-year-old, a former nurse who is currently unemployed, is accused of dressing as his mother — 85-year-old Graziella Dall’Oglio — in a blouse and skirt, with lipstick and a short brown wig, in a Mrs. Doubtfire-style scheme to continue receiving her benefits after she died in 2022, the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera reported.

Authorities say he never reported his mother’s death and continued to collect €53,000 ($60,000) of her survivor’s pension from her late husband, as well as income from the family’s real estate and land, according to the outlet.

On Nov. 16, a registry office clerk in Borgo Virgilio, about two hours east of Milan, became suspicious when the “woman” came in to renew her identity card. The clerk contacted Borgo Virgilio Mayor Francesco Aporti and the police, prompting an investigation, Aporti told Corriere della Sera.

“She looked very much like the woman in the photo on the ID. But there was something that didn’t convince the employee, like the hair on her neck, the heavy makeup, and it looked like beard holes were protruding from the greasepaint,” Aporti said.

“[We] analyzed the video surveillance footage and saw the woman arrive in a car. Alarm bells ringing: the woman doesn’t have a driver’s license … piece by piece, the picture of this unpleasant situation began to emerge,” he added.

The clerk then called the man back to the registry office, where the mayor and police officers confronted him. He admitted he was in disguise and confirmed that Graziella was his mother, Corriere della Sera reported.

In footage obtained by the Italian outlet La Repubblica, the man is seen walking in disguise with a cane as he heads to the registry office. He is wearing a dark cardigan with a white scarf and a mid-length skirt, with short brown hair and holding a bag.

After confessing to the ruse, the man agreed to let authorities search his mother’s home. There, they discovered the “mummified body” of Graziella in a room, Aporti told Corriere della Sera.

“The woman may have died of natural causes, but the autopsy will probably determine that,” Aporti said. “In any case, they had no financial problems … It’s a very, very sad story.”

The man is being investigated for concealing a corpse, fraud against state damages, impersonation and falsehood in public, according to La Repubblica.

The Registry Office of the municipality of Borgo Virgilio (ROBV) is reportedly handling the investigation.