A man in Italy allegedly hid his 82-year-old mother’s corpse at home for years while impersonating her to collect her pension, and the scheme fell apart only after a government worker raised suspicions about the person claiming to be the deceased.
This reads like a mashup of Mrs. Doubtfire and a classic psychological thriller, only it allegedly played out in real life. Graziella Dall’Oglio died in 2022 at age 82, and her 56-year-old son reportedly never told authorities she had passed. Instead, he kept her body at the family home and posed as her in public to keep receiving benefits.
According to local reporting, the son concealed the mummified remains in their laundry area and continued the ruse for years. He is said to have gone so far as to dress and apply makeup to mimic his mother’s appearance when officials came around. The effort allegedly included updating government paperwork to maintain the illusion that Dall’Oglio was still alive.
An unemployed son impersonated his dead mother to collect thousands of euros a year from her pension in what Italian authorities have dubbed a “Mrs. Doubtfire scandal,” according to local reports.
The 56-year-old man, who was not identified, carried out the ruse after his mom died three years ago as he concealed her mummified corpse at their family home, Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera reported.
The con artist’s mother, Graziella Dall’Oglio, passed away at 82 years old and her son never reported her death.
He instead stuffed her corpse in a sleeping bag and stashed it in the laundry room at their home, the outlet reported.
Investigators say the scam brought in a significant sum: with pension payments and rental income from properties, the man reportedly took home over $60,000 per year. The disguise was apparently convincing enough that he managed to renew her identity card after she died. The long-running fraud only stopped when a public administrator noticed features that did not fit the elderly woman and raised the alarm.
Once officials compared the living person to earlier photos, discrepancies were obvious and suspicions deepened. Authorities executed a search of the home and discovered Dall’Oglio’s body, which prompted a formal inquiry. An autopsy has been ordered to determine the cause of death, though investigators say they do not currently suspect foul play.
“She probably died of natural causes, but that will be established by the postmortem. It is a very strange story and very, very sad,” Francesco Aporti, mayor of Borgo Virgilio, told Italian media. Local officials described the case as both tragic and disturbing, since it combined domestic concealment with a calculated fraud against the state.
The reporting indicates the son is being probed for illegally concealing a body and benefit fraud, though details about whether he has been formally arrested remain unclear. Authorities continue to piece together how long the deception lasted and how state checks failed to flag it sooner. The case raises questions about oversight, identity verification, and how benefits are monitored for elderly claimants.
This is true. Investigators say the discovery surprised neighbors and officials who had no idea the woman was deceased.
Don’t give them any ideas. Local reaction has mixed shock with a grim sort of disbelief at how far the ruse allegedly went.
Officials stress the situation is under investigation and that the legal process will determine responsibility and any penalties. Neighbors and local journalists described the discovery as eerie and upsetting, given the domestic setting of the alleged concealment. The story also underscores how fraud can sometimes hide behind seemingly ordinary paperwork and appearances.
We’d watch that movie, but this was real and painful for the community involved. The case will likely keep authorities busy as they follow forensic results and pursue any criminal charges tied to the scheme.
It’s a little from Column A, and a little from Column B. Observers say it blends a bizarre impersonation with straightforward theft of public funds, leaving many questions about motive and oversight.
