Italian authorities have arrested a 56-year-old man from Borgo Virgilio after uncovering a years-long scheme in which he allegedly impersonated his dead mother to keep collecting her pension. Local reports said the man—once a nurse—went to extraordinary lengths to maintain the deception, dressing in a 1970s-style blouse, long skirt, lipstick, nail polish, earrings and a pearl necklace whenever he needed to appear in public as his mother, Graziella Dall’Oglio.
Investigators believe he collected roughly 53,000 euros (about USD 93,000) in pension payments following her death three years ago. The case has since been labelled Italy’s “Mrs Doubtfire scandal,” a reference to the film in which Robin Williams disguises himself as an elderly woman.
Suspicion first arose when an alert staff member at the local Registry Office noticed that “Graziella’s” face and hands did not resemble those of an 85-year-old woman. Officials also noted that the person claiming to be Dall’Oglio had an unusually thick neck and a voice that occasionally slipped into masculine tones. Comparing old photographs with recent images confirmed that the real woman had long been dead.
Police arranged for the man to return under the pretext of completing paperwork, and he arrived still dressed as his mother. He was detained immediately and confessed to the elaborate pension fraud. During a subsequent search of the family home, officers made a grim discovery: Dall’Oglio’s mummified body, wrapped tightly in bedsheets and a sleeping bag.
Local authorities described the episode as a profoundly tragic case marked not only by deception and financial crime but also by extreme isolation. The mayor of Borgo Virgilio, Francesco Aporti, said the situation revealed “a very, very sad story” at its core.
