An Italian man has been arrested after allegedly disguising himself as his deceased mother to collect her pension payments. Officials say the man used clothing, a wig and makeup to resemble the 70‑something woman and presented himself at a pension office to receive her monthly benefit.
Staff grew suspicious after noting inconsistencies in his appearance and identity documents and alerted authorities. Surveillance footage and document checks reportedly confirmed the deception, prompting police to detain the man and launch an investigation into pension fraud and identity theft.
Prosecutors are expected to assess the total amount collected fraudulently and may seek restitution and criminal charges. Under Italian law, those convicted of pension fraud and identity-related offenses can face fines and prison time. The pension agency will review procedures to prevent similar fraud, including stricter identity verification and cross-checks when beneficiaries are deceased.
The case has drawn attention to vulnerabilities in benefit systems and the need for robust safeguards to ensure public funds are paid only to rightful recipients or their legal representatives. Authorities urged the public to report suspicious activity related to pension collection.
