About half a century ago, an Italian man suffered a workplace accident and, ever since, pretended to be blind, defrauding the government of disability benefits for decades. Over the years, he collected more than €1 million (around MYR 4.9 million) before being exposed by Italy’s Finance Police, who have now launched a financial fraud investigation. The case has stunned the nation, with local media calling it “the longest-running social fraud of the century.”
European reports say the man, now in his seventies and living in Vicenza province, was declared “completely blind” after an accident 53 years ago and registered as visually impaired. He then received disability and pension payments for decades, totaling over €1 million.
Authorities grew suspicious during a routine record check and conducted over two months of surveillance. Footage revealed him performing tasks no blind person could manage—gardening, navigating the city to a market, selecting fruits and vegetables, and handling cash with ease.
Investigators say he deceived the state for more than 50 years using falsified medical documents and by avoiding mandatory rechecks. The Vicenza prosecutor has charged him with defrauding the government, and all his welfare benefits have been immediately halted.
After a tax audit, he was ordered to repay at least €200,000 (around MYR 984,000) in improperly obtained funds plus taxes. Authorities are also examining how he bypassed oversight for so long and whether any officials were negligent or complicit.
