Italian man poses as dead mother in 'Mrs Doubtfire' ruse to claim USD 93,000 pension

An Italian man has been arrested after allegedly disguising himself as his deceased mother for years to illegally collect her pension, according to a report by 9news.com. Authorities say the scheme netted him nearly USD 93,000 before he was caught.

The man, a 56-year-old former nurse from the northern Italian town of Borgo Virgilio, reportedly used lipstick, a 1970s-style blouse, a long skirt, nail polish, a pearl necklace and vintage earrings to impersonate his mother, Graziella Dall’Oglio, when visiting the local Registry Office to renew her identity card.

However, Dall’Oglio died three years ago. Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera reported that her son had continued to collect her pension ever since, amounting to roughly 53,000 euros (about USD 94,000). The bizarre episode has since been dubbed the “Mrs Doubtfire scandal”, after the 1993 film starring Robin Williams.

The mayor of Borgo Virgilio, Francesco Aporti, told an Italian publication that an alert registry employee first noticed inconsistencies in “Graziella’s” appearance: “The neck was a bit too thick, the wrinkles seemed strange, and the skin on the hands did not look like that of an 85-year-old,” he said. “And though the voice was feminine, occasionally a few masculine notes escaped.”

After comparing photographs of the real Dall’Oglio with images of the man in disguise, officials realised they had been duped and began investigating. They discovered that the son had even been filing regular tax returns in her name.

To bring him in, officials contacted the son and said Dall’Oglio needed to appear again to complete formalities. When he arrived dressed as his mother, police detained him, and he admitted to the scheme.

In a grim development, officers searching Dall’Oglio’s home found her mummified body wrapped in bedsheets and a sleeping bag. Police believe she likely died of natural causes, though a post-mortem examination will determine the exact cause of death.

“It’s a very, very sad story; certainly one of great loneliness,” Mayor Aporti said.

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