Italian man fakes blindness for 53 years to claim state benefits worth millions

A 70-year-old man from Vicenza, Italy, has been arrested for defrauding the state for more than five decades by falsely claiming total blindness and receiving over €1 million in disability benefits.

According to Italian authorities, the man pretended to have lost his eyesight following a workplace incident in 1972. However, police surveillance exposed that he had been living a normal life, performing household chores and moving independently without any assistance.

The investigation began when Italy’s finance department police command conducted a routine audit and noticed irregularities in his medical and financial records.

The inquiry revealed that he had deceived both medical professionals and government agencies for 53 years.

Investigators uncovered the alleged fraud through surveillance footage showing the suspect moving about without assistance, reading documents, completing various transactions while being recorded.

The man had received more than €200,000 in benefits, money now classified as illegal income that will be reclaimed and taxed by the government.

The Vicenza Prosecutor's Office has formally initiated legal proceedings against the individual on charges of fraud.

His disability benefits have been immediately suspended, and efforts are currently underway to recover misappropriated public funds, including taxes and social assistance payments.